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STATE  OF  PHARMACY  IN  GERMANY  AND  PRUSSIA. 
The  "  physicus "  gives  the  candidate,  who  passes,  a  certificate 
stating  that  he  has  conformed  to  the  usual  regulations ;  he  is  then 
considered  capable  of  entering  a  pharmacy,  and  receives  from  the 
certificate  the  authority  to  do  so.  The  prescribed  period  of  study- 
as  an  eleve  is  four  years  ;  but  this  period  may  be  shortened  six 
months  by  special  permission  from  the  pharmaceutist,  when  the 
eleve  has  distinguished  himself  by  aptitude  and  industry.  At  the 
end  of  this  time  he  undergoes  another  examination  by  the  "  phy- 
sicus" and  the  pharmaceutist  with  whom  he  has  studied.  On  passing 
the  examination  he  receives  a  second  certificate,  stating  that  he 
possesses  the  requisite  knowledge  and  is  capable  of  being  employed 
as  a  u  commis."  Before  he  can  present  himelf  for  examination  to 
be  admitted  as  a  pharmaceutist,  he  must  have  served  during  five 
years  as  a  "commis."  The  system  of  education  of  eleves  in 
Germany  differs  therefore  in  some  respects  from  that  which  is 
adopted  in  France.  The  preliminary  examination  which  they 
undergo  by  the  "  physicus"  is  very  advantageously  replaced  in 
France  by  the  diploma  of  "  bachelier  es  sciences,"  required  of 
pharmaceutical  eleves. 
However,  while  the  French  law  recognizes  only  one  class  of 
pharmaceutical  students,  the  Prussian  law  wisely  makes  a  distinc- 
tion of  two  classes — the  one  comprising  those  who  are  passing 
through  what  is  elsewhere  called  the  apprenticeship,  and  the  other 
including  the  "  commis,"  who,  properly  speaking, correspond  to  the 
44  eleves  en  pharmacie"  in  France. 
Upon  this  distinction,  which  is  extremely  appropriate,  depends 
in  a  far  greater  measure  than  might  be  supposed,  the  good  manage- 
ment of  the  business ;  it  involves  a  difference  in  the  respective 
duties  of  the  principals  and  the  eleves,  the  maintenance  of  which 
is  highly  important.  Thus  a  pharmaceutist  may  have  an  unlimited 
number  of  "commis,"  but  the  number  of  apprentices  is  limited, 
and  must  always  be  less  than  the  former ;  he  is  bound  to  provide 
the  apprentices  with  the  necessary  facilities  for  pursuing  their 
studies  and  to  assist  them  with  his  advice  and  instruction.  It 
would  certainly  be  advisable  to  resume  in  some  respects  this  sys- 
tem in  France;  it  would  be  advantageous  to  re-establish  the 
distinction  inappropriately  abolished  between  the  eleve  who  is 
commencing  his  studies,  and  whose  intervention  in  the  actual 
business  of  the  pharmacy  may  be  hazardous,  at  least  when  not 
