460  Pharmacy  in  the  Italian  Army.     { Anx"ji°y,r"i9?9.rrQ' 
panies  of  the  Army  Medical  Service,  and  on  passing  an  examination 
become  pharmacist  cadets  with  the  rank  of  corporal  or  sergeant. 
On  graduation  in  their  universities  they  go  through  a  special  course 
of  instruction,  and  may  then  present  themselves  for  examination 
for  advancement  to  the  rank  of  Farmacista  di  Complemento  di  3a 
Classe  (pharmacist  officer  of  the  reserve ),  with  the  rank  of  second- 
lieutenant.  On  attaining  this  rank  the  pharmacist  officer  may  serve 
the  remainder  of  his  period  of  liability  to  military  service  in  the  re- 
serve, or  may  enter  for  a  competitive  examination  for  a  commis- 
sion in  the  standing  army.  If  successful  he  is  gazetted  a  Farmacista 
di  2a  Classe,  with,  the  rank  and  pay  of  lieutenant. 
From  this  grade  he  is  promoted  by  seniority  or  selection.  In 
peace  there  are,  as  in  the  case  of  the  British  service,  medical  officers' 
examination  for  each  step  in  rank,  but  these  are,  'of  course,  abol- 
ished in  war  time. 
In  addition  to  the  pharmacist  officers  and  cadets  there  is  a  con- 
siderable personnel  employed  on  pharmaceutical  duties.  These  are 
the  medical  assistants  or  aiutanti  di  sanita,  who  are  recruits  from 
among  the  students  of  medicine,  science,  and  pharmacy  of  the  uni- 
versities. Young  priests  are  also  liable  for  service  as  medical  as- 
sistants. These  medical  assistants  have  the  rank  of  corporal  and 
lance-corporal,  forming  a  section  in  each  company  of  the  Army  Med- 
ical Service  apart  from  the  nursing,  clerical  and  stretcher-bearer 
sections. 
In  addition  to  the  pharmacists  of  the  Regular  Army  the  Italian 
Red  Cross,  or  Croce  Rossa  Italiana,  employs  a  very  large  number 
of  graduates  in  pharmacy  of  the  universities. 
The  Red  Cross  enjoys  a  very  honored  and  important  position  in 
Italy,  and  its  personnel  is  to  some  extent  exempted  from  ordinary 
military  service. 
It  has  long  anticipated  the  present  scheme  for  utilizing  the  Red 
Cross  in  peace  time,  and  had,  for  instance,  a  well-organized  anti- 
malarial service  long  before  the  war.  Quinine  was  distributed  at 
the  expense  of  the  government  and  of  the  society  by  trained  phar- 
macists. 
It  will  be  seen  by  readers  of  the  article  on  "  Pharmacy  in  the 
French  Army,"2  that  the  profession  of  pharmacy  holds  a  high  and 
honored  place  in  the  French  Army,  but  that,  although  Italy  is  al- 
most as  democratic  a  country  as  France,  the  pharmacist  official  is 
2  Chemist  and  Druggist,  June  7,  p.  50.  , 
