338 
Pharmacy  in  Prussia,  etc. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t    Aug.  1, 1871. 
medical  and  sanitary  aifairs  of  which,  not  properly  belonging  to  the 
department  of  Police  or  to  municipal  supervision,  are  guarded  by 
the  district  physicus  (a  health  officer  who  is  a  physician),  the  dis- 
trict pharmacist  and  the  district  veterinary  surgeon.  Their  authority 
is  limited  to  memorializing  the  provincial  Regency,  obtaining  the  deci- 
sions and  regulations  of  the  latter,  and  initiating  their  enforcement. 
More  important  administrative  affairs  are  reported  either  directly 
to  the  Provincial  Medical  Council  or  to  the  Governor,  or,  like  the 
establishment  of  new  pharmacies,  have  to  pass  through  all  the  succes- 
sive bureaus  to  receive  the  final  decision  of  the  Governor.  In  such 
cases  reports  are  demanded  of  the  interested  parties,  of  the  municipal 
authorities,  of  the  district  or  city  physicus,  and  of  the  provincial 
medical  council. 
The  only  direct  control  which  the  government  exercises  over  the 
pharmacies  and  pharmaceutists  consists  in  the  inspection  of  the  phar- 
macies, which  is  compulsory  every  three  years,  but  which  may  be 
performed  oftener  if  judged  necessary,  or  if  called  for  by  the  apoth- 
ecary or  by  the  district  or  municipal  authorities.  This  inspection  is 
no  dead-letter,  but  is  a  severe  searching  operation,  performed  by  a 
delegation  nominated  by  the  Provincial  government,  and  consisting 
of  the  presiding  medical  councillor  of  the  Provincial  government 
(Regierungs-Medicinalrath),  the  district  physicus,  the  district  and 
some  other  delegated  apothecary.  One  or  more  representatives  of 
the  local  municipal  authorities  are  always  invited  to  attend  the  inspec- 
tion. Not  only  are  the  drugs  and  the  entire  stock  examined,  but 
also  the  assistants  and  apprentices.  The  inspectors  examine  the  apo- 
thecary's diploma,  license,  pharmacopoeia,  library,  herbarium,  pre- 
scription books,  and  the  prices  charged  for  the  prescriptions  therein 
Assistants  and  apprentices  are  required  to  show  their  examination 
certificates,  are  asked  questions  on  the  pharmaceutical  sciences,  on 
the  pharmacopoeia,  and  have  to  submit  to  an  inquiry  into  their  studies, 
diligence,  and  progress.  Most  drugs,  especially  those  liable  to  sophis- 
tication, and  all  pharmaceutical  and  chemical  preparations,  are  exam- 
ined and  tested.  Store,  laboratory,  storerooms  and  cellar  are  inspected 
minutely.  A  resumd  of  the  entire  inspection  is  made  and  signed  by 
all  delegates  and  witnesses,  and  is  sent  to  and  kept  by  the  Provincial 
government.  From  this  the  apothecary  receives  a  report  of  the 
result  of  the  inspection,  with  either  acknowledging  reflections,  coun- 
