26 
THE  DRUG  BUSINESS  IN  SWEDEN. 
examinations,  and,  after  having  passed,  he  gets  another  diploma 
from  the  Royal  Board  of  Health,  takes  another  oath  of  ofiSce 
and  is  called  an  apothecary. 
But  "where  is  he  going  to  get  a  drug  store  from  ?  He  has  no 
money,  and  it  would  not  help  him  much  if  he  had  a  rich  uncle 
to  supply  him  with  that  most  useful  article  either,  for  he  must,  ac- 
cording to  law,  serve  four  years  more  first.  Well,  well,  he  serves. 
He  is  now  29  or  30  years  of  age,  and  has  not  been  able  to  save 
much  from  his  rather  small  salary,  but  he  wants  a  drug  store  to 
be  sure. 
His  uncle  could  buy  him  one  now — one  of  those  old  estab- 
lishments with  transferable  licenses  ;  but  ten  chances  to  one 
he  hasn't  got  a  rich  uncle. 
By  and  by  the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  newer  drug  stores 
dies,  and  the  place  is  advertised  vacant.  There  is  at  last  one- 
tenth  or  twentieth  part  of  a  chance.  He  sends  in  his  applica- 
tion with  all  the  others,  and  in  due  time  is  notified,  through  the 
Journal  of  Pharmacy,  that  Mr.  R.,  who  is  50  years  of  age,  and 
has  been  standing  behind  the  prescription  counter  till  he  has 
ruptures  of  blood  vessels  in  both  legs,  got  the  nomination  from 
the  Board  of  Health,  and  was  confirmed  by  the  King.  Or  if 
he  is  unusually  fortunate  and  particularly  skilled  in  his  profes- 
sion, and  his  competitors  are  less  so,  he  gets  the  appoint- 
ment and  borrows  money  to  buy  the  stock  and  fixtures  with  from 
the  widow  of  his  predecessor.  Once  well  established,  he  devotes 
the  balance  of  his  lifetime  to  first  pay  his  debts,  and  then,  if 
there  is  any  time  left,  make  money. 
We  have  in  Sweden  a  good  many  excellent  pharmaceutists 
dying  from  old  age  before  they  have  the  satisfaction  to  see  a 
store  of  their  own.  Some  emigrate  to  America,  Africa  and 
Asia,  before  it  is  too  late. 
The  Royal  Board  of  Health  is  the  bugbear  for  the  druggists. 
They  instituted  a  regular  annual  visitation  in  each  store  by  the 
provincial  physicians,  and  besides,  made  a  surprise  call  occa- 
sionally. At  these  visitations  the  store  was  searched  through, 
and  sundry  chemicals  and  preparations  tested,  the  visiting 
physician  or  professor  looked  after,  that  the  druggist  did  not 
charge  more  for  his  drugs  or  prescriptions  than  the  annual  price 
