Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-19
UNION AND AMERICAN.
PHARMACEUTICAL RED-TAPR.
One Of the Things They Do Not Do
Better in Paris.

Better IN Paris.
Most people know from experience
how long it takes to get a prescription
put up at an apothecary's shop when
the occasion Is pressing, but deliberate
as are the clerks of pharmacists on
this side Of the water, they must yield
the palm to their French brethren.
The following translation Of a little
sketch by NJ. Charles MOnselet H.
Illustrates our remark: The Pharmacy
Blanc is one Of the handsomest in
Paris. In the first place, 1t is situated
IN central quarter, that is to say, in
proximity to the greater part of the
accidents. The shop Is large and airy,
It's windows are adorned with curiously
shaped bottles filed with varicusly
colored spirits; the interior is
decorated with undOubted good
taste; there are urns wherein
serpents are coiled, dark green busts Of
Esculapius and Galen, and copper
sphinxes support the counters. can
never explain it to myself, but pharma-
cies have always a fascination for me,
possessing, as they do, a methodical
aspect and an exceptional atmosphere.
From the powders, minerals, roots,
plants, herbs, dried flowers, the IN
guents, pates, elixirs, there eXhales an
Odor singularly pleasing to me, and
amidst which l fancy / should like to
live. All at once, while l was e1amin-
ing all those Jars, so alike IN appear
ance and so diverse In cortents, a
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 phaTmdcieH a
prescription which she held clUtched IN
her trembling fingers. Her hus-
band has just received a fear
full wound in the head; he is
now living on his bed unconscious. The
doctor, called IN haste, has written rap
idly a few lines upon The paper she had
brought. It is thesefew lines that she has
passed to the phdTmGcieH, who is calmly
and gravely unfolding them, for a pbar-
7llaeien should never case TO be grave.
He Is slowly deciphering the writing,
for a pharmdcieB should, before all,
make himself well acquainted with the
details Of prescription. When he has
finished reading lit, he says to the
woman
"Be good enough to take a seat. Sit
down. Sit down.
But. sir, she cries, "do you not IN
derstapd that my husband is IN the
greatest danger? Give me quickly
what 1 require -
at will only take an instant; please
to sit down"
The moor woman sinks into a chair,
her arms hanging hstlessly on each
side. and her face eZpressiOnless from
anxiety and fatigue. During this tune
the DEarBldcien sets to work. He takes
a small vial, places it IL the beautiful
scales before him. He goes TO a row Of
the lars arranged like books IN libra
nv. He pours from one a few drops
into the small vial. He then weighs 1t,
and adds more from another jar. All
this with the care and system recon-
mended by the COdex. From time to
time the woman jumps from her seat
suddenly. Her husband, pale and COW
cred with blood, haunts her, and she
turns to the pharmlGcieH, and joining
her hands in supplication, she says:
"Ohl sir! sir"
Patience
my poor husband"
ct will soon be ready, madame"
Saving this, the phaTmdcieH corks
dramatically the little vial, which IS at
last full; he takes from a drawer a
niece of green paper, with which he
covers the cork, arranging Its folds
with a tedious neatness and regularity;
he ties it with a bit of red Irvine, and
trims the paper with pair Of scissors;
then he plunges a stick Of sealing wax
in the gas let, and deposits upon the
summit a lighted drop, IN which he at
fixes the end of the Irvine.
ooh. sir! SIR
Our pharmacien has not yet finished;
he has now to find a label and paste 1t
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"
at is finished, madame"
In point of fact, after having accom-
nIisbed all these indispensable formal
ties. the phdTmGcieH rolls up the vial IN
an elegant quality of paper, and pre-
SCENTS it to the woman.
chow much? how much;" stamm ers
she feeling for the money in the pocket
of her dress.
"Pay at the desk"
At the desk sits enthroned the pro-
p,ietor of the pharmacy, with a majestic
air. dreamily perusing the latest lirrai-
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 1t
for her. in the midst of a deafenlng
rafting of the bell attached thereto.
Such is the scene, dear neighbor, which
I accidentally witnessed the other day.
Nav heaven preserve you from ever
going to procure anything else IN the
Pharmacy Blanc than an agreeable
syrup or some perfumed Pastities.
A s.Epr,,crTy" suicide occurred in Paris