ON  ^STHETIGAL  PHARMACY. 
223 
There  is  one  class  of  fixtures  you  can  hardly  over-crowd  a 
store  with  ;  that  is  good  show  casing,  either  flat  or  upright.  As 
now  made,  in  metallic  frames  and  fine  plate  glass,  they  are  in 
good  taste  almost  everywhere.  Serve  to  display  goods  to  the 
best  possible  advantage  ;  afford  the  means  of  developing  the  ar- 
tistic gracefulness  of  grouping  goods  which  may  exist  in  assist- 
ants, and  which  again  are  economical ;  for  I  have  always  found 
that  goods  well  displayed,  in  a  great  measure  sell  themselves. 
Show  windows,  open,  fine  quality  of  glass,  and  always  clean. 
Show  bottles,  few,  but  choice  ;  colors,  rare  and  light.  Do  not 
crowd  a  window  with  goods ;  rather  let  the  front  be  as  a  show- 
case lid,  to  show  a  nicly  arranged  store  within. 
The  foregoing,  relating  to  permanent  fixtures,  are  mere  skele- 
ton ideas,  which  can,  of  course,  be  elaborated  in  a  variety  of 
ways,  all  within  sesthetical  rules,  and  due  regard  to  harmony  of 
arrangement  and  general  design. 
A  still  richer  field  for  the  organization  and  operation  of  sesthe- 
tical  rules  lies  in  the  every  day  labors,  and  in  all  the  manipula- 
tions of  the  store,  where  everything  done,  or  every  item  dispensed, 
is  to  teach  by  its  neatness,  nicety,  simplicity,  elegance,  or  beauty, 
a  lesson  to  your  customer  in  the  science  of  the  beautiful. 
iEsthetical  should  be  your  choice  of  dispensing  glass,  in  form, 
quality,  and  finish ;  of  twines,  of  corks,  of  powder,  or  wrapping 
paper — these  last  in  reference  to  color,  cutting  and  shape. 
Elegant  in  appearance  should  be  all  medicinal  preparations ; 
your  syrups,  tinctures,  wines,  etc.,  clear,  clean  and  bright,  and 
never  dispensed  otherwise. 
The  manipulatory  hand  work  at  the  prescription  counter 
should  be  not  only  well,  but  neatly  and  gracefully  done.  I  con- 
sider the  perfect  mixing  of  a  pill  mass,  the  brightness  of  a  solu- 
tion or  lotion,  the  evenness  of  consistence  of  an  ointment,  etc., 
etc.,  all  so  perfect  as  to  exhibit  skill  and  labor  as  bordering  upon 
the  esthetic. 
And,  again,  in  externals :  powders,  equally  folded  in  fair  pa- 
per nicely  cut,  enveloped  or  boxed,  a  perfect  fit ;  pills  carefully 
finished,  coated  or  powdered,  boxed  in  nice  shapes ;  the  ointment 
jar  or  gallipot  of  a  nice  quality,  covered,  and  of  convenient 
