PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 
11 
pares  the  amount  weighed  or  measured  with  that  ordered  in  the 
prescription,  so  as  to  be  able  to  testify  to  the  correctness  of  the 
operation.  The  poisons  which,  for  distinction,  are  in  variously 
shaped  and  colored  bottles,  are  to  be  immediately  afterwards  re- 
stored to  their  closet,  and  it  is  then  locked.  In  case  of  an  unusual 
quantity  of  a  powerful  remedy  being  prescribed,  a  copy  of  the 
prescription  is  made  in  a  book,  but  in  ordinary  cases  no  care 
of  this  kind  is  taken,  and  the  prescription  is  invariably  returned 
to  the  patient,  who  is  considered  its  owner. 
A  separate  small  closet  is  appropriated  to  corrosive  sublimate, 
and  to  avoid  the  unnecessary  weighing  of  small  quantities,  they 
keep  a  concentrated  solution  of  known  strength,  which  is  stated 
on  the  label. 
On  one  side  of  the  dispensing  shop,  and  with  a  separate  en- 
trance to  the  court,  is  a  room  for  the  reception  of  goods,  and 
for  putting  up  wholesale  orders.  Into  this  the  purchased  arti- 
cles are  brought  daily  and  placed  upon  a  large  counter  for  exa- 
mination by  one  of  the  firm,  previously  to  being  put  away 
among  the  stock.  If  any  article  is  found  deficient  in  quality,  it 
is  immediately  returned  to  the  druggist  from  whom  purchased, 
it  being  in  London,  as  with  us,  the  privilege  of  the  purchaser  to 
return  within  a  limited  time  any  sophisticated  or  deteriorated 
drug.  A  private  laboratory  for  the  use  of  the  firm  in  testing 
and  in  experimental  research  is  in  the  rear  of  this  apartment. 
In  this  and  many  other  large  dispensing  stores  in  England,  they 
make  a  point  of  preparing  nearly  all  the  preparations,  both 
chemical  and  galenical,  dispensed  at  their  counters  ;  a  custom 
which  American  pharmaceutists  might  well  imitate.  They  are 
thus  able  to  guarantee  more  uniformity  and  excellence  in  their 
medicines  than  can  be  secured  by  those  who  assume  the  posi- 
tion of  ^mere  tradesmen,  buying  and  selling  preparations  of  the 
quality  of  which  they  can  have  but  little  certain  evidence. 
The  laboratories  of  this  firm  are  situated  in  convenient  posi- 
tions. One  adjoining  the  dispensing  shop  is  appropriated  to  in- 
fusions ;  these  are  made  daily,  in  the  large  quantities,  generally 
half-a-gallon  each,  which  experience  has  indicated  as  required  by 
an  ordinary  day's  business.  They  are  all  made  by  maceration 
with  hot  water. 
In  the  other  departments  of  pharmaceutical  manufacture. 
