It is now becoming a regular custom with English assistants, at least to the number of about a hundred, yearly to go to the South of France for the winter season, and many later on endeavour to get into a Parisian pharmacy. In the former case the duties of the English-speaking assistant are generally confined to attending American and English customers, and dispensing their prescriptions, The following is a brief description of the duties by an assistant who went to the Riviera for a season :

Our pharmacy is large and well-arranged; the garcons do all the dusting and look after the place from about 6 till 8 in the morning, when we make our appearance. 'We' includes a German, a Swiss, and myself. I attend to the English and Americans, and they see to the others. Each alternate Sunday I am on duty all day, except three hours for meals. On week-days we are on duty alternately till 7 and 10, or half-past 9. We have an hour and a half for lunch at 12 o'clock, and the same for dinner at 7. We sleep in, but board out, and many of us go to the same restaurant, where, for 9 of. a month, we eat, drink, and make merry. English patent medicines are greatly in evidence. We have separate English labels for many of our specialities, and of course for dispensing ; in fact, we have so many English things about on the counter and elsewhere that our customers remark on its being quite like an English chemist's shop. Oxygen is in great demand for chest and throat troubles. We make it from potassium chlorate and manganese, store it in a small gasometer, and retail it in indiarubber bags. We have English weights and scales and measures, and, in fact, everything there should be in a well-appointed pharmacy.

Prices are very good, especially for dispensing.

This sort of practice initiates the English assistant thoroughly into French methods, he gets his French brushed up, and then if he require a better insight into French pharmacy he may endeavour to get into an establishment which is pure French, or where he will have a share of all the dispensing done. The experience is worth getting, especially as a finish-off to pharmaceutical studies, and after experience in a good English, Irish, or Scotch dispensing house.