PHARMACY  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
403 
laboratories.  There  are,  at  present,  about  twelve  such  colleges 
and  societies  in  the  United  States,  besides  the  great  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association. 
The  most  perfect  institution,  in  this  respect,  is  the  Philadel- 
phia College  of  Pharmacy.  It  employs,  for  all  its  branches, 
competent  professors,  has  complete  collections  and  a  well-fitted 
laboratory.  The  lectures,  generally,  are  held  evenings,  so  as  to 
facilitate  the  attendance  of  the  clerks  to  them.  Among  the 
students,  there  are  to  be  found,  besides  apprentices  and  clerks, 
owners  of  drug-stores,  who  go  there  to  improve  their  insufficient 
knowledge.  The  druggist  who  can  show  that  he  has  attended  the 
courses  of  lectures  in  one  of  these  colleges,  and  is  in  possession 
of  its  diploma,  will  always  unfailingly  enjoy  the  preference  of 
practising  physicians  and  the  public  at  large. 
The  existence  of  so  many  drug-stores  is  principally  secured 
by  the  sale  of  sundry  retail  articles  and  pharmaceutical  prepara- 
tions. The  profits  derived  from  these  sales  furnish  to  the  poor 
apothecary  the  means  to  dispense  good  medicines  by  procuring 
them  in  good  quality,  and  keeping  a  fresh  and  select  stock  of 
medicines,  and  to  throw  away  stale  ones.  It  is  proverbial  there, 
even  among  the  German  pharmaceutists,  that  nothing  is  more 
imprudent  than  to  sell  old  or  spoiled  drugs.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  a  uniform,  legal  tariff.  The  price  of  medicines  is 
always  regulated  by  local  circumstances,  and  the  financial  cir- 
cumstances of  the  patrons  of  an  establishment.  But  there  is 
sufficient  competition  in  the  business  to  warrant  against  exorbi- 
tant prices.  Establishments  which  enjoy  a  large  reputation,  and 
are  more  elegantly  fitted  up,  generally  obtain  better  prices,  and 
become  patronized  by  the  rich,  Vhile  people  in  ordinary  circum- 
stances can  find  drug-stores  at  moderate  prices. 
As  there  is  no  privilege  attached  to  that  business,  the  price  of 
retail  drug-stores,  consequently,  is  very  varying.  Reputed  estab- 
lishments that  enjoy  a  large  patronage  will  realize  much  more 
than  such  as  cannot  prove  this  advantage.  It  often  happens  that 
retail  drug-stores  are  sold  below  their  inventory  value,  because 
their  owners  are  either  incompetent  or  did  not  apply  themselves 
to  business. 
As  the  government  does  not  exercise  a  control  over  the  drug 
