578 
Pharmaceutical  Progress. 
(  Am  Jour.  Pharm  . 
I   December,  1901. 
merited  by  the  knowledge  and  forethought  of  the  trained  nurse. 
But  what  advantage  or  blessing,  it  may  be  asked,  does  this  enlarge- 
ment of  the  large  and  curtailment  of  the  small  bring  ?  The  answer 
is  quickly  made — "  much  and  many." 
I  would  in  no  way  disparage  the  smaller  stores.  I  would  in  kind- 
ness sound  a  warning  note  and  lend  a  helping  hand.  It  is  only  in 
the  enlargement  of  stores  and  by  the  concentration  of  effort  that  I 
see  release  from  long  hours  and  overwork.  Higher  practice  must 
be  had  in  better  stores  not  in  more  stores.  If  this  is  not  true,  it  is 
possible,  and  will,  I  believe,  certainly  follow.  There  are  many  evi- 
dences that  this  is  the  case  already.  Where  do  we  find  the  most 
desirable  and  competent  assistants  ?  Are  they  not  constantly  seek- 
ing and  finding  positions  in  the  larger  establishments  ?  And  is  it 
not  because  they  are  better  paid  and  have  more  privileges  ?  It  is 
there  that  their  talents  and  acquirements  find  a  better  market,  be- 
cause needed. 
Helpful  progress  has  been  made  in  fixtures,  in  the  arrangement 
of  stock,  in  the  selection  and  purchase  of  the  latter ;  progress  in 
bookkeeping,  in  the  training,  selection  and  proper  placiilg  of  assist- 
ants and  general  help  has  been  made. 
Containers  and  wrappings  have  been  improved,  and  especially 
have  methods  of  identification,  standardization,  manufacture  and 
dispensing  advanced.  Some  of  these,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  will 
tersely  illustrate. 
Regarding  Fixtures :  In  the  modern  drug  store  the  old  counter, 
with  its  dark  cupboard-like  interior  has  or  should  have  disappeared  ; 
in  its  place  counter  show-cases  should  be  found.  They  enable 
customers  to  see  what  you  have  and  you  to  find  what  is  wanted. 
These  should,  however,  have  sliding  doors  in  front  as  well  as  back. 
The  front  doors  add  immensely  to  the  value  and  convenience  of 
these  cases  and  need  not  greatly  detract  from  their  appearance. 
The  old  tiers  of  drawers,  dusty  and  often  infested,  each  drawer 
bearing  the  label  of  one  article  it  did  not  hold  but  containing  a 
dozen  or  twenty-nine  others  of  varying  potency  and  odors ;  instead 
you  will  find  a  sufficient  number  of  inexpensive  but  neat  tin  cans 
to  separately  contain  such  stock  as  was  formerly  kept  in  drawers. 
Let  me  ask  in  this  connection,  why  could  not  formaldehyde  be 
judiciously  used  to  prevent  the  development  of  vermin  in  such 
drugs  as  tend  to  deteriorate  in  this  manner?    We  are  trying  it  with 
