April 22, 1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
84,1 
THE PARIS SCHOOL OF PHARMACY. 
BY WALTER HILLS. 
During a stay last year in Paris, I had an oppor¬ 
tunity of working for three months in one of the 
laboratories of the School of Pharmacy in that city. 
It is probable that very few of those interested in 
pharmacy, who- have visited Paris, are acquainted 
with the old edifice in the Quartier Latin, bearing 
the name “l'Ecole Superieure de Pharmacie.” The 
following remarks, therefore; concerning this institu¬ 
tion, and the kind of study earned on in it may he of 
interest:—The building, which is situated near the 
Pantheon, is unpretending—in fact, rather ugly; 
but I hear that it is proposed to erect a more 
commodious school. One-half of the botanical gar¬ 
dens, by which it was surrounded, has lately been 
taken for a new faubourg or boulevard, thus afford¬ 
ing a proof that not even the abode of science is 
respected by the agents of Haussmann. There is a 
museum, similar to that at Bloomsbury Square, 
which is always open to the public, and a not very 
extensive library which is open every day from 
twelve to four o’clock; most of the volumes are kept 
under lode and key, thus necessitating an applica¬ 
tion to the librarian, on the part of the student, for 
the hook required. 
The full term of study being three years, there are 
three sets of laboratories. The first year’s men 
occupy themselves with the manufacture of chemical 
and pharmaceutical preparations; the second with 
physics, and the third with analysis. These labora¬ 
tories are only open to the regular students, viz. 
those who are following the whole curriculum; con¬ 
sequently, I, as a visitor, had some difficulty in 
gaining admission, but after numerous applications 
to the secretary, and writing to the Minister of Public 
Instruction, I was at last, thanks to Professor Sou- 
beiran, allowed, on the payment of £1, to work in 
either of the three laboratories. I chose that of the 
third year, which is under the direction of M. Per- 
sonne, and it being then about Easter, there remained 
twelve weeks’ work, previous to the half-yearly exa¬ 
minations which commence about the third week in 
July, the subsequent vacation lasting till the com¬ 
mencement of November. 
The laboratory for students in their third year is 
open every day (except Thursday) from twelve to 
four o’clock. Once a fortnight, there is a lecture by 
the managing director, stating the work to be pur¬ 
sued, and the methods employed for the following 
two weeks. All the necessary apparatus and chemi¬ 
cals are provided, but the students are arranged into 
groups of three or four, each group possessing one 
set of apparatus, which is continually changed ac¬ 
cording to the work to be done. This arrangement 
has a disadvantage, as in many cases two of the 
same group cannot occupy themselves at one time 
on the same analysis, and the old adage is exempli¬ 
fied “ first come, first served.” I should think there 
were about sixty or eighty students on the books of the 
third year, but I never saw more than about twenty 
working at the same time. I now give the heads of 
the work of each week. 
1871, le 25 Avril. 
1. Recherche de phosphor dans xmc matiere organique. 
2. Titrage de bromure de potassium. 
3. Titrage de quinquina. 
(a) Quinine. 
(j3) Cinchonidine, cinchonine, etc. 
Third Series, No. 43. 
Le 2 Mui. 
1. Titrage de lait. 
(«) Beurre. 
(/3) Sucre. 
(y) Caseine. 
(j) Matieres inorganiques. 
(*) Eau. 
2. Titrage de cinnabar, ou d’autres sels de mcrcure. 
Le 9 Mai. 
1. Titrage d’ opium. 
2. Dosage de matieres grasses de graiucs oleagineuses. 
3. Analyse de peintures blanches. 
(«) Ceruse. 
(iG) Oxyde de zinc. 
(y) Sulfate de baryte. 
4. Analyse de peintures vertes. 
(«) Arsonite de cuivre. 
(/3) Sol de plomb avec bleu de prusse, 
( y ) Oxyde de chrome. 
5. Essai et titrage de minium. 
Le 16 Mai. 
1. Recherche toxicologique de 1’arsenic ct do I anti- 
moine dans matieres organiques. 
2. Titrage de kermes. 
3. Titrage de sulfate de magnesic. 
Le 23 Mai. 
1. Dosage de l’azote d’une matiere organique. 
2. Analyse d’un guano. 
3. Essai des sirops. 
4. Recherche de deux acides dans une matiere alimcn- 
taire. 
Le 30 Max. 
1. Dosage du carbon et de 1’hydrogene d’une matiere 
organique. 
2. Essai des savons. 
(a) Dosage de l’eau. 
(/3) Dosage de 1’acide gras. 
(y) Dosage de l’alcali. 
(I) Essai d’un savon resineux. 
3. Recherche de deux metaux dans une matiere ali- 
mentaire; 
Le 6 Jain. 
1. Dosage du chloro d’une matiere organique. 
2. Dosage du soufre d’une matiere organique. 
3. Recherche toxicologique du mercure. 
4. Recherche de deux metaux toxiques dans une ma¬ 
tiere alimentaire. 
Le 13 Jain. 
1. Essai des urines. 
(x) Dosage de l’uree. 
(/•>) Caracteriser et doser 1’albumin© ct ses va- 
riete3. 
(y) Caracteriser la glucose, ct doser. 
(§) Caracteriser la bile. 
(j) Caracteriser les divers calculs vesieulaircs. 
2. Caracteriser deux metaux toxiques dans une matiere 
alimentaire. 
Le 20 Juhv. 
1. Recherche toxicologique du cuivre dans un via. 
2. Recherche toxicologique du plomb dans un vim 
3. Recherche toxicologique de 1’aeide cyanydr.que 
libre. 
4. Recherche toxicologique de l’acvde eyanydr.quo 
combine. __ f 
5. Analyse qualitative d’un melange pulverulent. 
G. Analyse qualitative d’une dissolution saline. 
Le 27 Jain. 
1. Caracteriser les principaux alcalis organiques. 
2. Recherche toxicologique de la morphine ct de in 
strychnine. 
3. Recherche toxicologique du chloro forme. 
