PHARMACY  IN  GERMANY  AND  PRUSSIA. 
439 
THE  SALE  OF  POISONS. 
The  provisions  made  by  the  Prussian  law  for  the  sale  of  poi- 
sons, closely  resemble  those  which  obtain  in  France.  They  must 
be  kept  in  separate  closets,  and  not  sold  except  under  certain 
conditions,  to  persons  free  from  suspicion,  provided  with  a  due 
authority,  and  for  determinate  purposes,  under  a  penalty  of  3000 
francs.  A  poisonous  substance,  when  sold  by  a  pharmaceutist, 
must  be  enclosed  in  a  box  tied  and  sealed.  On  the  exterior  the 
name  must  be  written  in  German  or  French,  and  Latin,  according 
to  the  locality,  with  the  addition  of  three  crosses,  or  a  label  with 
a  death's  head. 
In  some  States  of  Germany  it  is  necessary,  besides  the  above 
precautions,  for  the  receiver  of  the  poison  to  give  a  receipt,  to 
which  he  affixes  his  seal,  and  running  thus :  "  I  the  undersigned 
declare  that  I  have  received  from  the  pharmacy  of  M.  , 
(name  and  quantity  of  the  poison,)  packed  according  to  the  regu- 
lations, labelled  and  sealed  (use  to  which  it  is  to  be  applied) ;  and 
I  make  myself  accountable  for  any  accident  this  drug  may 
occasion." 
THE  DRUGGISTS. 
The  Druggists  in  Germany  are  not  allowed  to  sell  any  com- 
pounded medicine,  although  they  are  at  liberty  to  sell  simple 
drugs.    They  may  not  sell  medicinal  drugs  by  retail. 
It  is  impossible  to  fix  rigorously  the  limit  between  retail  and 
wholesale ;  and  in  order  to  obviate  the  difficulties  to  which  such 
an  uncertainty  would  give  rise  in  practice,  the  government  has 
published  a  list  of  the  drugs  which  may  be  sold  by  Druggists  in 
any  quantities,  and  a  list  of  those  which  must  not  be  sold  by 
them  below  a  certain  weight. 
HOSPITALS. 
With  very  few  exceptions  the  medicines  required  for  hospital 
use  are  prepared  by  the  pharmaceutists  of  the  town. 
The  larger  hospital  at  Berlin  is  provided  with  medicines  by 
the  king's  pharmaceutist,  and  they  are  prepared  under  the  direc- 
tion of  M.  Wittstock. 
The  prices  of  medicines  for  hospitals,  or  for  charitable  insti- 
tutions, is  based  upon  a  tariff,  upon  which  the  contractor  agrees 
to  make  a  certain  reduction.    Very  frequently  the  one  who 
