34       THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  BUSINESS — ITS  MANAGEMENT. 
So  far  in  life  I  am  deluded  with  the  fancy  of  considering  money 
as  a  means  not  an  end,  and  while  I  look  with  pity  mingled  with 
contempt  on  him  in  whom  its  possession  merely  is  the  sole  grati- 
fication it  affords  him,  it  offers  a  pleasant  contrast  to  turn  to 
him  of  enlarged  understanding,  and  liberal  tastes  who,  the  happy 
possessor  of  fortune,  is  the  almoner  of  his  own  charities  and  pa- 
tron of  the  noble  in  art. 
It  is  an  unquestioned  fact  that  correct  habits  of  life,  such  as 
diligence,  temperance  and  the  possession  naturally  of  the  quali- 
ties of  energy,  perseverance  and  hopefulness,  as  well  as  an  un- 
derstanding of  the  science  of  economics,  are  business  require- 
ments, regarded  as  necessary  to  moneyed  success  in  ours,  as  in 
all  other  arts. 
Rarely  do  we  find  in  one  person  all  these  attributes,  and  as  a 
consequence  our  fortunes  vary. 
Let  me  illustrate  by  examples.  We  find  A.  in  business  makes 
money  rapidly,  has  a  great  run  of  trade,  is  looked  upon  enviously 
by  the  lesser  lights,  so  called,  yet  this  man  may,  by  having  no 
ideas  of  how  economically  to  manage,  save  or  invest  his  gains, 
— he  either  cares  not  or  knows  not — eventually  lose  the  results 
accruing  from  his  energy  and  power,  while  his  neighbor,  B.,  with 
less  facilities  in  every  way,  poorly  educated,  no  capital,  by  means 
of  perseverance  and  by  the  economical  management  of  his  gains, 
contrives  to  come  out  the  winner  in  this  moneyed  race. 
C.  has  a  noble  store  in  a  popular  street,  elegantly  fitted,  in  a 
large  city,  caters  for  what  is  called  a  first  class  trade,  large  ex- 
penses, extravagant  ideas,  works  hard  himself,  always  behind  his 
counter,  bids  high  for  the  patronage  of  his  medical  friends  by 
gifts,  perquisites  and  percentages,  is  in  a  constant  and  chronic 
condition  of  hurried  business  excitement,  is  royal  in  his  subscrip- 
tions, fine  in  his  living,  does  not  stop  the  small  leaks  in  his  pro- 
fits, is  reckless  in  slow  expenses,  leaves  his  finances  to  some  one 
not  at  all  interested,  is  showy  in  expenses,  abounds  in  non-pay- 
ing attractions ;  compelled  by  these  very  items  to  urge  business, 
to  do  a  large  business,  the  profits  to  the  money  he  handles  bears 
no  fair  proportions,  so  he  leaves  his  condition  in  mourning  once 
in  five  years. 
D.  has  a  small  shop,  less  knowledge,  but  is  bound  to  win  ;  sells 
