Am  Jour.  Ptiarm. 
Oct.,  1884. 
The  p  and  the  P. 
535 
kinetic  only  as  regards  his  own  portion.  Years  agone  the  ways  that  were 
dark,  of  the  alchemistical  apothecary  kept  the  boundary  line  between  a 
gaping  public  and  his  inner  sanctum  clear  and  distinct.  The  symbols  of 
his  art  even,  were  looked  upon  with  awe  (scarcely  with  reverence),  he  was 
of  the  world  a  thing  apart,  and  like  all  imperfectly  understood  lives,  that 
of  an  apothecary  was  cruelly  misjudged.  The  crude  nature  of  scientific 
knowledge  at  the  time  precluded  all  attempts  at  the  rational  utilization  of 
observed  facts,  or  the  framing  of  valid  inductions,  and  the  misty  condition 
of  philosophic  minds  rendered  impossible  the  transmission  of  intelligence 
from  those  minds  to  the  world  at  large. 
We  are  suspicious  always  of  the  incomprehensible  and  the  "  ways  "  of  an 
apothecary  were  eminently  so  to  the  masses.  Suspicion  begets  dislike,  and 
it  is  but  a  step  from  negative  dislike  to  positive  hatred,  and  positive  hatred, 
not  unmixed  with  fear,  was  the  feeling  with  which  the  public  of  early  ages 
regarded  him  of  the  crucible  and  gallipot.  This  was  the  primary  relation 
existing  between  the  two  p's. 
Following  closely  the  dissemination  of  knowledge  came  the  appreciation 
of  the  fact  that  the  apothecary  was  not  so  black  as  the  devil  said  he  was, 
the  dividing  line  between  the  p's  gradually  lost  its  sharp  distinction,  and 
to-day  we  are  passing  through  the  secondary  stage,  with  a  Public  feeling 
that  the  apothecary  is  as  "  other  men  ;"  that  the  fundamental  elements  of 
his  art  are  not  solely  "  fire  and  brimstone,"  and  that  his  mission  is  not  alto- 
gether Satanic.  The  bow  was  overbent  and  its  spring  has  thrown  it  now  too 
far  the  other  side ;  the  public  of  years  ago  claimed  no  knowledge  of  the 
art  or  science  of  Pharmacy,  to-day  it  assumes  too  much.  The  shop  of  the 
apothecary  is  no  longer  the  dingy,  stnoke-discolored  den  of  his  alchemistical 
ancestor,  his  bottles  are  no  longer  labelled  with  arbitrary  symbols  of  mythi- 
cal deities,  and  his  operations  are  no  longer  conducted  under  a  veil  of 
secrecy,  nor  aided  and  abetted  by  magical  incantations.  All  is  "  open  and 
above  board,"  except  the  knowledge  and  experience  stored  away  out  of  sight 
in  the  pharmacist's  brain.  The  dispenser  moves  about  confidently  amid 
the  paraphernalia  of  his  art,  while  his  customer,  in  full  view  of  his  actions, 
waits  in  an  elegantly  furnished  room,  the  completion  of  a  very  simple  ope- 
ration, and  grumbles  at  the  price. 
Canova  once  made  a  bust  for  a  wealthy  plebeian,  and  charged  him  three 
hundred  florins. 
"Why,  exclaimed  the  plebeian,  you  made  it  in  a  week." 
"  True,  said  Canova,  but  it  has  taken  me  thirty  years  to  learn  to  do  it  in 
that  time." 
"  Five  thousand  francs  for  one  song  !"  said  an  Empress;  why  a  Marshal 
of  France  does  not  receive  that  for  a  months'  service." 
"  Get  a  Marshal  of  France  to  sing  for  you  then,"  said  Patti. 
The  disposition  to  value  every  service  from  a  basis  of  manual  labor  is  uni- 
versal, and  not  until  the  tertiary  period  is  reached  will  the  dear  people 
recognize  the  fact  that  the  difference  between  the  p's,  is  dearly  bought  expe- 
rience, that  this  intangible  "  commodity  "  has  a  definite  value,  and  must  be 
paid  for  or  it  will  not  be  produced.  The  incompetency  of  pharmacists  may 
be  fairly  laid  to  the  charge  of  those  who  object  to  allowing  a  fair  compen- 
