The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-17

F'urusund, Sweden, July 15.-The
other day I had occasion to look up
drugstore, or apothecary's as they
call it here. Some one was in need OF
an ointment and wanted certain
patent medicine with properties some
thing akin to witch hazel. But had
come to the wrong store. | was told
politely that no patent medicines We're
kept in any drugstores, but could be
had at the grocer's round the corner.
But" said the druggist, Il can give
you exactly the same thing ana Tor
less price, for we have the formula
but cannot use the proprietary name
So there it was, witch hazel or Ponds
extract, the same story as with u.s..
I bought his substitute, for he
seemed an honest fellow and willing
to talk, It appears that the drug
gists of Sweden have begun to Hght
the proprietary medicines by refusing
to sell them. So now the patent
medicine crank must buy his sarsa-
narilla. his celery compound, or
what not at the grocer's or In
the department stores. Won
der IL it won't rob it of 80 per cent
Of It's curative powers when thus al
yorced from the halo and mysteries
of the drugstores and absolutely
| ignored by the doctors
Neither do the drugstores sell per-
!
| to say nothing of cameras. sodaWater
and cutflowers. They sell drugs ana
| nothing else, I believe, except vichy
water, whichFis considered as much
/ medicine as a beverage, and is con-
sumed in great quantities.
But druggists do here what would
| be Impossible in other countries. Fof
their business is a remnant OF the Old
4 time guilds. When a young man mas
i L. no n
/ nations and gone thru a year or tWe
as an apprentice, one might think ne
I; was free to select the best vacant cor
ner. stock up and wait for business
I By no means. The law says just now
many drugstores there shall be anc
4 Just where they are to be located
/ no more and no less. It also pre-
/ scrihes the prices Of all drugs-thert
is no cutting.
The young man, anxious to get int
4 business, must wait for some one Z
4 die or for the government to estab
lish new drugstore, as is done Whel
the population has increased enough
1 to warrant 1t. Then a new druggist Ii
4 appointed according to merit or favoi
as The case may be. If he Is dissatis
fed. he cannot close shop ACCORDING
Z to his own will. IF he wants a bette
location he must wait until another i
vacant, and then apply. Thus a drug
gist moves about, beginning usual.
at some crossroads village and finish
ing with Stockholm If possible.
All are anxious to get to that city
No wonder. for it is beautiful, attrac
tive, and it's drugstores pay we'll. Il
small cities the druggist is one Of tn
4 leading men and perhaps the wealth
lest one. In Stockholm the net in
come is7a as much as $4,000 to 5000
crowns, nearly five times as much a
, the kings ministers receive.
But recently it has been deter
mined to establish four or five NOR
:, drugstores In the capital city. Th1
!. does not please the old-timers, but
hailed by the young blood as a goo
thing So you can see how easy
! is to exclude patent medicines fror
drugstores. Sweden is a country wher
: they try to regulate things, and the
succeed, tho sometimes only too wei
: Tt gets to be a bore.
Extravaganza and the Monarchy.
: There is certainly no comprehend
8 ing the points of view some peopl
Il take One day, as a few of us wer
t chatting over a cup of coffee, tn
Z talk drifted to politics. How a cour
r try could be ruled by a mere presider
seemed a mystery; no tradition, n
II dignity, no stability.
& Somehow I had occasion to CON
8 pliment Sweden on erecting the hand
q some granite houses of parliamen
: now nearly completed. One of til
:, party was a man known rather fe
the tightness of his purse than tn
i liberality Of his views. Instantly h
e e Hared up and hurled invectives at tn
u pride-ridden Swedish people, VIII
4 tho few in numbers and poor in re
e sources, must needs spend millions Q
"a mere building for its represents
s tives. It was, to his notion, the wor
y folly and an utter waste Of nation;
I'll 1Nea Ii h