Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  "I 
July,  1882.  i 
Modern  Pharmaceutical  Study. 
377 
Art.  15.  The  right  to  be  admitted  to  the  theoretical  pharmaceutical  exami- 
nation belongs  to  those  candidates  only  who  have  passed  the  first  examina- 
tion in  natural  science  (see  article  4). 
Art.  17.  Those  only  can  be  "  Apothecary-servants"  (in  Dutch,  "  Apothe- 
kers-bedienden  with  the  same  rights  as  the  earlier  "  Hulpapotheker  " 
{i.  e.,  assistants),  who  are  at  least  eighteen  years  old,  and  have  passed  an 
examination  which  has  shown  that  they  possess  sufficient  knowledge,  and. 
are  practised  in  preparing  medicine  after  prescriptions. 
Art.  18  determines  that  the  practical  examinations  (see  articles  2,  8  and 
11)  shall  be  passed  before  a  special  board  of  examiners. 
Art.  20  determines  that  the  examination  of  the  "apothecary-servants"" 
shall  be  passed  before  another  special  board  of  examiners. 
The  import  of  these  somewhat  complicated  rules  is,  in  a  few  words,  the 
following :  The  young  man  who  in  Holland  desires  to  study  pharmacy  or 
medicine  can  choose  whether  he  will  receive  his  preliminary  education  in 
the  classical  school  or  in  a  higher  "  burgerschool."  Then  he  must  receive 
a  practical  education  of  at  least  two  years  with  a  pharmacist  (or  a  physician^ 
if  he  is  studying  medicine),  and  passes  now  "the ^rsi{ examination  in  the 
natural  sciences"  (common  for  both,  see  article  4).  The  medical  student 
passes  then  a  second  examination  in  the  medical  branches  of  natural 
science  especially  (see  article  5).  Now  they  both  pass  the  theoretical  exami- 
nation of  their  respective  professions  (see  articles  6  and  13),  and  finally  their 
respective prac^?;ca^  examinations  (see  articles  2  and  11). 
By  this  the  complete  equality  of  pharmacy  and  medicine  is  shown.  To 
make  the  analogy  complete,  some  so-called  "apothecary-servants"  are 
placed  under  the  pharmacist,  in  the  same  way  as  the  "  chirurgeons  "  and 
sick-watchers  assist  the  physician  in  the  less  important  point  of  attendance 
upon  patients.  These  "apothecary-servants"  can  of  course  never  manage 
or  possess  a  pharmacy.  Another  peculiarity  in  the  Dutch  pharmacy  is  the 
frequent  education  of  female  api3rentices,  which  arrangement  is  found  very 
satisfactory  in  Holland;  January  1st,  1879,  Holland  had  altogether  259^ 
pharmaceutical  apprentices  (called  in  Dutch  "Leerling"),  and  of  these  48 
were  female. 
According  to  the  explanations  which  Professor  Van  der  Burg  has  been  so 
kind  as  to  give  me,  the  examination  of  the  Dutch  pharmacist  includes, 
forensal  and  quantitative  analysis,  as  well  as  microscopical  study  of  the 
pharmaceutical  drugs  and  their  adulterations.  The  theoretical  part  of  the 
examinations  is  held  at  the  universities  (in  Leyden,  Utrecht,  Groningen 
and  Amsterdam) ;  the  practical  part  is  passed  before  a  special  Government 
Commission,  which  is  changed  every  year.  Having  passed  his  examina- 
tions the  pharmacist  can  establish  himself  when  and  where  he  will. 
The  "  apothecary-servants  "  do  not  frequent  the  universities,  and  there  is. 
no  government  institute  which  is  established  particularly  for  their  educa- 
tion. In  Amsterdam  there  is  a  special  school,  connected  with  the  indus- 
trial school  of  the  city,  wliere  "apothecary-servants"  can  obtain  education 
if  they  wish  it,  and  a  society  for  the  development  of  pharmacy  ("  Rotter- 
damsche  Departement  van  de  Maatschappij  te  bevordering  der  Pharmacie") 
is  at  present  (June,  1880)  occupied  with  the  establisliment  of  a  similar 
school  in  Rotterdam. 
(To  be  continued.) 
