^"^  Feb.^S^'''"  }      ^rit^  Business  in  Australia,  India  and  U.  S.  105 
while  the  qualification  examination  has  been  merely  nominal,  except  in  Vic- 
toria where  they  were  more  strict.  The  Colonial  Boards  have  now  united  and 
a  General  Board  for  Australia  has  been  organized,  looking  to  a  more  rigid  regu- 
lation of  pharmacy.  But  practice  is  what  counts  in  pharmacy,  and  undoubt- 
edly we  are  a  nation  of  practical  people.  In  our  drug  stores  the  clerk  who  is 
neat  in  his  work,  alert  in  his  attention  to  customers,  suave  in  his  dealings,  with 
them,  and  quick  and  accurate  in  his  work,  is  the  most  appreciated.  The  nature 
of  our  trade  forces  these  ideas  on  him,  and  he  is  very  dull  who  does  not  see  that 
these  attributes  are  the  essence  of  three-fourths  of  his  future  success  in  his  pro- 
fession. On  the  other  hand  the  Australian  is  more  slow-going,  given  to 
"  taking  his  time,''  and  has  not  that  freedom  of  conversation  with  customers 
incident  to  Americans.  The  English  idea  of  "master  and  man"  is  very  preva- 
lent in  Australia,  few  of  the  employers  vouchsafing  a  friendly  or  social  word  to 
their  clerks,  but  maintaining  an  air  of  "  upper  crust,"  which  seems  to  suppress 
one  somewhat.  He  lacks  the  tact  and  address  of  his  cousin,  and  does  not  learn 
that  expertness  and  celerity  in  manipulation  incident  to  the  American,  as  his 
employer  insists  on  his  customer  giving  time,  which  is  generally  double  that 
reall}^  necessary.  In  India  the  average  druggist  is  good,  but  the  Australian  is 
better,  and  from  my  experience  and  connection  with  employers  and  clerks,  the 
American  is  the  best  "all 'round"  druggist  of  the  three;  and  an  American 
clerk  who  has  faith  in  his  own  qualifications,  can  take  a  position  in  any  of  the 
two  countries  and  feel  that  although  "  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,"  he  is  there 
"to  stay."  • 
There  is  but  little  room  for  comparison  in  the  appearance  and  arrange- 
ment of  the  stores,  for  we  are  far  ahead  in  making  our  places  of  business 
attractive.  Australia  and  India  stick  to  the  old  gold  paper  label,  but  few 
stores  have  improved  on  their  shelf  bottle,  and  the  antediluvian  carboy  still 
occupies  half  the  show  window.  Paper  labels  on  the  drawers,  ancient  designed 
show  cases,  and  a  general  air  of  don't  come  in  unless  you  want  physic,"  give 
them  anything  but  an  attractive  appearance.  I  speak  of  the  average  store,  for 
there  are  some  that  are  superior  to  these,  but  very  few.  The  stock  difl'ers  in  some 
respects.  We  often  carry  lines  of  goods  not  belonging  to  a  legitimate  drug 
business,  and  our  sundries  goods  branch  is  greatly  enlarged.  The  Australian 
does  a  more  legitimite  drug  business,  his  sundries  being  confined  mostly  to 
toilet  requisites,  etc.  In  India  the  drug  store  is  generally  a  department  of  a 
general  merchant's  establishment,  consequently  wholh'^  pharmaceutical,  the 
druggist  attending  only  to  this  department.  The  handsome  soda  fountains 
customary  in  our  stores  find  noplace  in  Australian  establishments,  nor  in  India, 
but  in  the  latter  place  the  business  of  bottling  aerated  waters  is  connected  with 
and  a  part  of  the  drug  business.  Did  the  climate  permit  people  to  walk  the 
streets  of  Indian  cities  during  the  summer  as  we  do  here,  the  fountains  would 
hold  high  carnival  there,  but  only  those  venture  about  in  the  sun  who  are 
compelled  to  do  so;  hence  there  are  but  few  white  people  about  during  the 
hoars  when  the  fountain  is  expected  to  appeal  to  their  patronage.  One  might 
say,  "But  there  is  a  large  evening  trade  for  soda-water  by  pedestrians." 
Granted ;  but  in  India  the  stores  all  stand  back  from  the  streets  in  lots,  and 
the  pedestrians  at  night  are  few  in  number,  the  stores  being  closed  at  dusk,  one 
clerk  remaining  about  the  premises  in  case  of  a  call.  The  usual  apartment  for 
patents  is  customary  to  all  and  the  trade  is  similar  in  each  country,  except 
that  there  are  more  American  patents  on  the  Australian  and  Indian  shelves, 
