426 
PHARMACY  IN  GERMANY  AND  PRUSSIA. 
1.  The  absolute  privilege,  "  real  privilegium,"  which  has  ex- 
isted until  recently,  and  in  virtue  of  which  the  government  has 
no  power  to  authorize  the  establishment  of  new  pharmacies  in 
places  were  privileged  pharmacies  were  already  in  existence. 
The  "  real  privilegium  "  is  now  abolished  in  Prussia,  and  through- 
out almost  the  whole  of  Germany. 
2.  The  limited  privilege,  which  differs  from  the  above  only  in 
the  circumstance  that  the  government  has  the  power,  when  it 
appears  desirable,  to  grant  new  privileges  without  being  in  any 
way  bound  to  indemnify  those  pharmaceutists  who  already  pos- 
sess the  privilege.  All  the  pharmaceutists  who  possess  the  "real 
privilegium,"  are  in  point  of  fact  subject  to  this  condition. 
3.  Besides  these,  there  are  the  concessions,  which  refer  to  the 
establishment  of  new  pharmacies ;  they  are  a  kind  of  privilege 
possessing  a  more  personal  character  than  the  preceding  ones. 
Thus,  the  limited  privilege  may  be  sold  or  transferred  to  another 
person,  without  any  intervention  of  the  government ;  it  is  only 
necessary  to  have  been  admitted  as  a  pharmaceutist  by  examina- 
tion, to  have  a  right  to  purchase  and  make  use  of  it.  This  pri- 
vilege is  in  some  sort  attached  to  the  business  itself,  and  admits 
of  being  mortgaged. 
The  concession,  on  the  contrary,  is  essentially  personal  ;  it  is 
not  legally  and  necessarily  saleable  and  transferable  like  the  re- 
stricted privilege,  it  cannot  be  ceded  by  one  person  to  another 
without  the  intervention  of  the  government  authorities.  The 
pharmaceutist  possessing  a  concession,  and  who  is  desirous  of 
selling  his  business,  is  obliged  to  inform  the  government  of  his 
intention,  and  to  present  a  successor  who  shall  be  considered 
appropriate. 
In  all  practical  cases  there  is  but  little  difference  in  the  modes 
of  transferring  pharmacies,  whether  the  business  is  carried  on 
under  a  privilege  or  a  concession,  the  government  having  hitherto 
always  given  their  consent  in  a  very  liberal  manner  to  the  sale 
of  pharmacies  carried  on  under  concessions. 
Thus,  the  only  difference  which  exists  with  regard  to  the  phar- 
maceutist who  purchases  a  business  under  a  privilege  or  a  con- 
cession, is,  that  in  the  former  case  he  is  not  subjected  to  any 
other  formality  by  the  government  than  to  present  his  diploma 
and  take  the  necessary  oath,  while  in  the  latter  case  it  is  neces- 
