THE  STATE  OF  PHARMACY  IN  RUSSIA,  ETC. 
363 
In  Russia,  where  they  have  copied  from  Germany  almost  all 
the  laws  and  regulations  relating  to  learned  institutions,  the 
following  system  works  with  the  greatest  and  most  efficient  suc- 
cess. Every  one  who  wishes  to  become  an  "Apothecary  "  has 
to  show  his  certificate  of  having  passed  with  efficiency  through 
the  first  four  classes  of  the  Government  school  in  a  certain 
allotted  time,  viz.,  four  years.  During  this  period  the  candi- 
date will  have  been  examined  in  the  following  subjects  : — the 
Latin  tongue,  the  Greek,  Russian,  German  and  French  lan- 
guages ;  arithmetic,  mathematics,  history,  geography, and  natural 
history. 
The  candidate  is  then  admitted  an  apprentice  in  a  «  phar- 
macy "  or  pharmaceutical  establishment,  having  been  duly 
registered  at  the  "  Medical  Police."  During  his  apprenticeship 
he  has  ample  opportunity  of  learning  practically  the  following 
subjects  : — 
Pharmacopy,  pharmacognosy,  pharmaceutical  chemistry,  bot- 
any, practical  dispensing,  and  the  reading  of  the  most  abbrevia- 
ted prescriptions. 
At  the  expiration  of  three  years  he  passes,  at  one  of  the 
University  Colleges,  a  theoretical  and  practical  examination  of 
the  above-named  subjects.  If  found  efficient,  he  attains  the 
degree  of  "  Subject,"  which  entitles  him  to  the  situation  of 
assistant.  Having  registered  his  new  degree  with  the  proper 
authorities,  he  has  to  serve  another  three  years  in  his  new  post 
of  assistant,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  has  to  study  two 
years  as  pharmaceutical  student  in  a  Russian  University  College, 
and  afterwards  pass  a  very  close  and  minute  examination  in  the 
following  subjects  : — 
Chemistry,  organic  and  inorganic,  analytical  and  pharma- 
ceutical ;  botany,  mineralogy,  zoology,  natural  history,  phar- 
macology, forensic  medicine,  and  toxicology. 
This  examination  entitles  the  "  Subject  "  to  the  degree  of 
"  Provisor,"  or  manager  of  a  "  Pharmacy."  If  a  provisor  writes 
at  his  examination  a  dissertation  on  some  pharmaceutical  sub- 
ject, and  is  able  to  defend  it  before  the  Board  of  Examiners,  he 
is  entitled  to  the  highest  degree— that  of  "  Magister."  This 
degree  is  optional,  and  a  "  Provisor  "  is  considered  by  law  a 
pharmaceute,  entitled  to  manage  or  possess  a  "pharmacy."  In 
