The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-02
Pharmaceutical Red-Tape.

PnHrmAceuIlCAl u-ldpbs
Most people know from experience
how long it takes TO get prescription
put mp at an apOthecary's shop when
the occasion is pressing, but deliberate
as are the clerks of pharmacists on
this side of the ater, they must yield
the palm 30 their French brethren.
The following translation of a little
sketch by NJ. Charles Monselet illus
trates our remark: The Pharmacy
Blanc is one of the handsOmest in
Paris. In the first place, it is situated
in a central quarter, that is to say, IN
proximity to the greater part OF the
accidents. The shop is large and airy,
its windows are adorned with curiOusly
shaped bottles filed with variously
colored spirits; the interior is decorated
with undoubted good taste there were
uIns wherein serpents are cOiled, dark
green busts of Esculapius and Galen,
and copper sphinxes support the cOUn-
tera. [ can never explain it to myself,
but pharmacies have always fascina-
tiOn for me, possessing, as they do, a
methodical aspect and an exceptional
atmosphere. From the powders; min
erals, roots, plants, herbs, dried flow
ers, the unguents, pates, selixirs, there
exhales an odor singularly pleasing to
me, and amidst which l fancy I should
like to live. All at once, while was
examining all those jars, so alike in ap-
pearance and so diverse in contents,
woman pushed open the door of the
shop violently and entered. She had
hardly strength enough left to speak
her countenance was convulsed !; she
could only hand to the pharmacien q
prescription which she held clutched in
her trembling fingers. Her husband
has Just received fearful wound in the
head he is now lying ON his bed un-
conscious. The doctor, called in haste,
has written rapidly a few lines upon
the paper she had brought. 1t is these
few lines that she had passed to the
pharmacien, who is calmly and gravely
unfolding them, for a pharmacien
should never cease to be grave. He is
slowly deciphering the writing, for a
pharmacien should, before all, make
himself we'll acquainted with the de-
tails of a prescription. When he has
finished reading it, he says to the
woman
"Be good enough to take a seat. Sit
down Sit down "
"But, SIR" she cries, "Go you not
understand that my husband is in the
greatest danger? Give me quickly
what I require J."
cit will only take an instance;
please to sit down"
The poor woman sinks into a chair,
her arms hanging listlessly on each
side, and her face expressiOnless from
anxiety and fatigue. During this time
the 12harnacien sets to work. He takes
a small vial, places it in the beautiful
scales before him. He goes to row of
the jars arranged like books in a library.
He pOurs from one a few drops into the
small vial. He then weighs it, and adds
more from another jar. Ali this with
the care and system recommended by
the cQdex. From time to time the
woman jumps from her seat suddenly.
Her husband, pale ard covered with
blood, haunts her, and she turns to the
31hnrn1acien, and joining her hands in
supplication, she says:
"Oh sir sir -
"Patience -
"My poor husband'
cit will soon be ready, madame"
Saying this. the 2ohar7nGcjen corks
Theoretically the little vial, which is mt
last full he takes from a drawer piece
of green paper, with which he covers
the cork, arranging lis folds with tedi-
ous neatness a d regularity; he ties it
with a bit of red twine, and trims the
paper with pair OF scissors then lie
p!uuges a stick of sealiug-wax in the gas
Jet, and deposits upon the summit
lighted drop, in which he affixes the end
of the twine
"Oh sir! sir p
Our phGTmHciCl has not yet finished;
he has now To find label and paste it
upon the bottle, then to write in plain
hand the number of the prescription,
the name of the mixture, and whether
for internal or external use, not forget
ting the hackneyed phrase, "Shake be-
fore using"
"Sir sir -
d" 1t Is finished, madame"
In point Of fact, after having accom-
plished all these indispensable formali-
ties, the 2)h0rmdcit7l rolls mp the vial
in an elegant quality of paper, and pre-
sents it to the woman.
Chow much ? how much ?" stammers
she, feeling for the money in the pocket
of her dress.
PAY at the desk"
At the desk sits enthroned the pro-
prietor of the pharmacy, with a majestic
air, dreamily perusing the latest HrrGj-
son of pharmaceutical literature he
detains the woman several minutes more,
and at last she receives her change );
then she precipitates herself towards
the door, when she encounters again the
clerk, who politely opens it for her, in
the midst OF deafening rattling of the
bell attached thereto. Such is the
scene, dear neighbor, which l accident
ally witnessed the other day. May
heaven preserve you from ever going to
procure anything else in the Pharmacy
Blanc than an agreeable syrup or some
perfamed pastilles.