A  DISCOURSE  ON  TITLES,  ETC. 
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mechanics,  bankers,  financiers  and  business  men  as  among  those 
formerly  characterized  as  of  the  learned  professions. 
A  long  recognized  difference  between  the  professional  man 
and  tradesman  has  been  adverted  to  in  the  fact  that  the  former 
deals  in  ideas  and  opinions,  and  is  approached  through  some  for- 
mality in  a  dwelling  or  office,  while  the  latter,  to  use  the  familiar 
phrase  of  the  English,  keeps  open  shop,  buying  and  selling  mer- 
chandize for  a  profit. 
If  we  were  to  picture  a  preparer  and  dispenser  of  medicines 
who  should  justify  the  public  estimate  of  a  strictly  professional 
man,  we  might  fit  him  out  somewhat  as  follows :  He  should  have 
a  neat  suit  of  rooms  in  a  building  having  no  aspect  of  a  shop,  no 
bulk  windows  or  show  cases.  On  entering  the  reception  room 
the  patron  should  be  shown  to  a  seat,  furnished  with  suitable 
reading  matter  during  the  necessary  detention.  The  prescrip- 
tion to  be  compounded  should  be  taken  to  the  laboratory  adjoin- 
ing, duly  registered  and  prepared.  Any  medicine  or  medicinal 
appliance  which  should  be  sought  without  a  physician's  prescrip- 
tion could  be  furnished  to  order,  or  might  be  the  subject  of  con- 
sultation with  the  pharmacist,  whose  office  should  adjoin  the  re- 
ception room  and  the  laboratory,  and  be  furnished  with  analyti- 
cal tests  and  apparatus,  a  scientific  library  and  other  conveni- 
ences. The  stock,  which  would  be  strictly  confined  to  those  ar- 
ticles needed  in  sickness  and  as  dietetics,  would  be  arranged  in 
the  laboratory  and  store  room  and  need  not  be  displayed  to  the 
view  of  the  public. 
The  numerous  fancy  articles,  appliances  for.  the  toilet  and  em- 
pirical preparations  which  are  displayed  in  cases  in  our  shops, 
would  be  missed  from  this  genteel  and  professional  pharmacy, 
and  their  places  might  be  filled  by  many  appropriate  and  attrac- 
tive features  combining  utility  and  ornament. 
The  proprietor  of  this  establishment  must  of  course  be  an  edu- 
cated man,  possessing  a  full  and  accurate  knowledge  of  all  the 
sciences  accessory  to  his  art ;  his  attention  would  be  directed  to 
giving  advice  equally  to  physician  and  patient,  who  would  resort 
to  him  on  the  ground  of  his  superior  attainments  and  exclusive 
devotion  to  the  professional  duties  pertaining  to  the  selection,, 
preparation  and  dispensing  of  medicines.     Eschewing  e^ery 
16 
