324  Training  of  British  Pharmacists.        { Am  ju^i9Po£arm* 
these  private  schools,  chiefly  on  account  of  the  shorter  time  taken 
to  get  through  the  course.  Another  point  of  importance  in  study- 
ing the  training  of  the  British  pharmacist  is  the  fact  that  the  major- 
ity of  students  are,  unfortunately,  content  with  the  Minor,  which  is 
the  legal  qualification  to  open  a  shop  for  the  sale  of  poisons,  and 
confers  the  title  of  "  Chemist  and  Druggist." 
Another  point  raised  by  Prof.  Hinrichs  is  the  preliminary  training 
of  apprentices.  It  is  not  obligatory  for  a  youth  to  pass  an  examina- 
tion in  the  liberal  arts  prior  to  his  entering  a  pharmacy  as  an 
apprentice,  but  such  an  examination  must  be  passed  before  entering 
for  the  Minor.  Probably  the  majority  of  youths  do  pass  a  recog- 
nized examination  in  these  subjects  before  leaving  school,  and  it  is 
much  the  best  for  them  to  do  so,  as  they  are  then  better  able  to 
devote  themselves  to  a  study  of  their  new  avocation.  Apprentice- 
ships in  Great  Britain  were  of  seven  years'  duration  in  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century,  but  a  period  of  three  or  four  years  is  the 
usual  time  at  the  present  day.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  appren- 
tices are  now  very  scarce  in  pharmacy.  A  few  years  ago  premiums  of 
IOO  guineas  or  pounds  were  often  obtained  with  an  apprentice,  and 
other  varying  sums  down  to  £50  were  quite  the  rule.  In  addition, 
the  parents  or  guardians  had  to  find  clothing,  books,  pocket-money 
and  other  personal  expenses,  as  the  English  pharmaceutical  appren- 
tice, as  a  rule,  receives  from  his  master  only  board,  lodging  and 
medical  attendance  when  required.  There  are  many  pharmacies  in 
England  to-day  where  apprentices  would  be  taken  eagerly  without 
premium,  so  scarce  are  they.  In  Scotland  the  conditions  of  appren- 
ticeship are  rather  different.  Many  apprentices  there  live  at  home 
and  may  receive  some  remuneration  during  their  pupilage.  Many 
reasons  are  advanced  to  account  for  the  dearth  of  apprentices  in 
England,  of  which  the  most  likely  is  that  a  lad  who  is  sufficiently  well 
educated  at  school  to  pass  a  preliminary  examination  which  would 
be  accepted  by  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  would  also  be  eligible  to 
enter  the  more  professional  callings,  e.  g.,  medicine  or  the  law. 
When  the  whole  cost  of  training  in  pharmacy  is  added  to  the  cost 
of  a  business  the  total  would  usually  exceed  the  cost  of  entering  a 
profession.  It  is  well  known  that  in  Great  Britain  the  earning  power 
of  a  retail  pharmacist  is  small,  and  the  well-paid  posts  in  pharmacy 
are  few  in  number,  comparing  unfavorably  with  the  professions 
named.    But  whatever  the  reason,  the  fact  remains  that  apprentices 
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