THE  DRUa  BUSINESS  IN  SWEDEN. 
23 
The  number  of  pharmaceutical  establishments  in  Sweden 
being  extrmelj  small  in  comparison  to  what  it  is  in  this  country, 
it  follows  that  licenses  are  there  very  valuable,  although  by  no 
means  in  the  same  proportion.  A  city  of  about  5000  inhabi- 
tants, with  an  additional  20,000  of  people  living  all  around  it, 
may  have  only  one  drug  store.  In  the  United  States  I  have  heard 
of  two  such  shops  in  a  place  with  only  a  few  hundred  residents. 
To  be  sure,  populations  of  such  little  embryos  of  future  great 
cities  in  America  grow  at  such  a  marvellous  rate,  that  it  is 
almost  justifiable  to  put  up  one  pharmacy  for  every  500  people, 
or  two  such  for  every  one  bank  and  newspaper- 
But,  as  for  Sweden,  let  us  go  through  a  regular  apprenticeship 
there  and  rise  by  degrees — on  paper — up  to  the  eminence  of  a 
happy  established  boss. 
Master  A.,  16  years  of  age,  is  rather  a  smart  boy,  and  his 
father  wishes  to  make  something  great  out  of  him.  But  money 
is  tight,  and  Master  A.'s  brother  needs  all  that  papa  can  spare 
for  the  completion  of  his  studies  at  the  University.  What  is  to 
be  done  ?  Why,  send  the  youth  to  a  drug  store, — of  course.  He 
has  spent  six  years  at  the  high  school  and  is  tolerably  well  posted 
in  Latin,  German  and  botany,  etc.,  so  he  has  all  the  requisites  of 
qualification  prescribed  by  law. 
His  father  is  either  a  country  parson  or  something  else.  His 
•mother  having  supplied  him  with  a  half  dozen  new  shirts,  a  dozen 
pair  of  stockings,  etc.,  etc.,  and  his  whole  wardrobe  having  been 
inspected  and  reconstructed,  Master  A.'s  trunk  is  packed,  and, 
after  an  affectionate  leave-taking  from  his  home  and  folks,  olf  he 
starts  toward  an  unknown  fate. 
With  all  the  money  his  father  can  possibly  spare  in  his 
pocket-book,  just  a  grain  of  uncertain  fear  in  his  heart,  and  a 
good  pound  of  curiosity  in  his  head,  he  at  last  reaches  his  place 
of  destination.  The  store  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  corners 
in  the  city ;  outside,  over  the  door,  a  swan,  a  lion,  an  owl,  an 
angel,  a  dragon,  a  deer,  a  unicorn,  a  crown  or  some  other 
wonderful  thing — the  trade  mark  and  name  of  the  establishment. 
Inside,  he  finds  himself  puzzled  out  of  his  concepts  altogether. 
The  store-room  is  large  ;  in  the  middle  of  it  is  a  large 
counter,  having   a   low  railing  along    its   outer    edge,  and 
