CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS, LAws RE LATum(; To. In the United States the terns apo thecaries, druggists. pharmaeists, and sometimes chemists, are used with little or no distinction as names of those licensed to compound and sell drugs and medicines upon prescriptions of physi vial's or otherwise; in Great Britain. however, a legal distinction exists between the three classes —apothecaries. chemists and druggists. and phar maceutical chemists. The la W of IS6s, designed especially to restriet the sale of poisons, made the classification just referred to for the sake of public convenience. Yoder this la w, apothe caries form practically a lower branch of the medical profession, having the right to practice in certain classes of eases; chemists drug gists are those who have passed examination at the pharmacy college, and have received a license to sell and compoind drugs and poisons; pharmaceutical chemists are those who have passed a second, `major.' examination, and who constitute a higher branch of the profession.
Laws relating to the business of selling and compounding drugs and medicines. under what ever name the business is carried on, and whether in the United States or in England. are either
laws limiting and defining the qualifications of those Avlio may carry an the business, or restrict ing the sale of poisons or intoxicating liquors, or defining the liability for injuries caused by carelessness or ignorance. Generally speaking. the statutes of the States in the United States require a person wishing to adopt the profession of druggist either to pass an examination before a board appointed for that purpose, or to pro duce a diploma from ;A college of pharmacy rec ognized as having authority and weight. Either State or city ordinances prescribe the conditions under which poisons may be sold, directing. for instance, that certain kinds of labels be used on bottles containing the poisons, and that the names of persons purchasing be entered in a book open for public inspection. Druggists are some times also forbidden to sell certain drugs or liquors except on physicians' certificates. Gross carelessness on the part of a druggist in com pounding a prescription, if it leads to death or serious injury, is a penal offense; if death ensue, the offense usually amounts to manslaughter.