Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
June,  1882.  / 
Modern  Pharmaoeutical  Study. 
317 
Germany. 
The  laws  by  which  the  existing  form  of  pharmaceutical  stiidj^  in  Ger- 
many has  been  established,  are  the  "  Bekanntmachung  des  Reichskanzlers 
vom  5  Marz  1875,  betreft'end  die  Priifuug  der  Apotheker"  and  the  Be- 
kanntmachung des  Reichskanzlers  vom  18  Nov.  1875,  betreffend  die  Prii- 
fung  der  Apotliekergehulfen." 
The  young  man  who  wishes  to  be  accepted  as  an  apprentice  ("  Lehrling,"" 
in  German)  in  pharmacy  has  first  to  prove  that  he  lias  passed  the  examina- 
tions which  are  demanded  for  an  "  einjahriger  Freiwilliger  "  in  the  army 
but  it  is  necessary  that  these  examinations  shall  have  been  passed  in  a  col- 
lege where  Latin  is  an  obligatory  branch  of  study.  This  corresponds  with, 
the  English  "First  or  Preliminary  Examination,"  but  must  be  regarded 
as  much  more  severe ;  for  it  is  necessary  that  the  young  man  shall  have- 
been  one  year  in  the  "Secunda,"  i.  e.,  tbe  highest  class  but  one  in  the 
German  classical  school,  and  this  German  examination  is  nearly  equivalent 
to  the  Oxford  and  Cambridge  Middle  Class  Examinations. 
When  these  claims  are  fulfilled,  the  candidate  must  stay  three  years  in  a 
pharmacy;  if  he  has  passed  "das  Abiturienten-Examen  "  (i.  e.,  the  final 
examination  for  the  highest  class  in  the  classical  school),  he  needs  to  remain 
only  two  years  as  an  apprentice  in  the  pbarmacy.  It  must  be  mentioned 
here  that  there  is  a  strong  party  among  the  German  pharmacists,  who 
wish  that  the  government  shall  demand  this  "  Abiturienten-Examen  "  as 
the  basis  for  all  j^harmaceutical  education. 
When  the  candidate  has  finished  his  apprenticeship,  he  passes  his  first 
pharmaceutical  examination,  the  "  Gehiilfenpriifung  "  [i.  e.,  examination 
for  assistants),  required  after  January  1,  1876,  by  the  above-mentioned  law 
of  November  13,  1875.  This  examination  is  not  passed  in  the  universities, 
but  before  special  boards  of  examiners  which  are  found  throughout  all  Ger- 
many, and  which  consist  of  two  pharmacists  and  a  physician.  The  "  Ge- 
hiilfenpriifung "  is  in  three  divisions  and  lasts  two  days. 
1.  The  written  examination  consists  of  three  questions  in  chemistry,  in 
botany  or  materia  medica,  and  in  physics.  The  candidates  are  watched 
during  the  six  hours  which  are  accorded  for  the  answering  of  these  three- 
questions,  and  no  access  to  books  is  allowed. 
2.  The  practical  examination  consists  in  :  (a)  reading,  preparing  and 
taxing  three  prescriptions;  (6)  preparing  one  "galenical"  and  one  chemico- 
pharmaceutical  preparation  after  the  Pharmacopoea  Germanica;  (c)  exam- 
ining the  purity  of  two  of  the  cliemical  preparations  of  the  Ph.  Germ. 
With  these  practical  tests  the  candidate  nmst  i^resent  his  "  Laborations- 
journal,"  which  he  has  prepared  during  the  three  years  of  apprenticeshiiv 
and  which  includes  a  short  description  of  all  the  work  he  has  done  in  the 
laboratory  in  the  three  years. 
3.  The  oral  examination  consists  in  :  (a)  recognizing  and  detennining 
several  fresh  or  dried  plants;  (6)  explaining  the  derivation,  adulteration 
and  pharmaceutical  use  of  several  drugs  and  chemical  preparations  and 
explaining  their  composition  and  preparation  ;  (c)  translating  two  articles 
of  the  Ph.  Germ.  ;  [d)  knowing  the  elements  of  botany,  pharmaceutical 
chemistry  and  physics.    With  this  oral  test  the  candidate  must  present 
