The next division includes the important subject of Chemical Composition, in which the authors have striven to point out to the reader familiar with chemistry what are the constituents of greatest interest in each particular drug—what the characters of the less common of those constituents—and by whom and at what date the chief investigations have been made. A knowledge of the name and date provides a clue to the original memoir, which may usually be found, either in extenso or in abstract, in more than one periodical. It has been no part of the authors’ plan to supersede reference to standard works on chemistry, or to describe the chemical character of substances[3] which may be easily ascertained from those sources of information which should be within the reach of every pharmaceutical inquirer.
In the section devoted to Production and Commerce, the authors have given such statistics and other trade information as they could obtain from reliable sources; but they regret that this section is of very unequal value. Duties have been abolished, and a general and continuous simplification of tariffs and trade regulations has ensued. The details, therefore, that used to be observed regarding the commerce in drugs, exists no longer in anything like their former state of completeness: hence the fragmentary nature of much of the information recorded under this head.
The medicinal uses of each particular drug are only slightly mentioned, it being felt that the science of therapeutics lies within the province of the physician, and may be wisely relinquished to his care. At the same time it may be remarked that the authors would have rejoiced had they been able to give more definite information as to the technical or economic uses of some of the substances they have described.
What has been written under the head of Adulteration is chiefly the result of actual observation, or might otherwise have been much extended. The authors would rather rely on the characters laid down in preceding sections than upon empirical methods for the determination of purity. The heading of Substitutes has been adopted for certain drugs, more or less related to those described in special articles, yet not actually used by way of adulteration.
A work professing to bring together the latest researches in any subject will naturally be thought to contain needless innovations. Whilst deprecating the inconvenience of changes of nomenclature, the authors have had no alternative but to adopt the views sanctioned by the leaders of chemical and botanical science, and which the progress of knowledge has required. The common designations of drugs may indeed remain unchanged:—hellebore, aconite, colchicum, anise, and caraway, need no modernizing touch. But when we attempt to combine with these simple names, words to indicate the organ of the plant of which they are constituted, questions arise as to the strict application of such terms as root, rhizome, tuber, corm, about which a diversity of opinion may be entertained.
It has been the authors’ aim to investigate anew the field of Vegetable Materia Medica, in order as far as possible to clear up doubtful points, and to remove some at least of the uncertainties by which the subject is surrounded. In furtherance of this plan they have availed themselves of the resources offered by Ancient and Modern History; nor have they hesitated to lay under contribution either the teaching of men eminent in science, or the labours of those who follow the paths of general literature. How far they have accomplished their desire remains for the public to decide.
CORRIGENDA.
| Page 57, | footnote 4; | for qui produit, read qui a produit. |
| ” 86, | 13th line from bottom; | for Bauchin, read Bauhin. |
| ” 128, | footnote 3; | read Adversariorum, for Adersariorum. |
| ” 161, | line from top; | read southern and south-western part, for northern part. |
| ” 265, | footnote 2; | for 4794 grammes, read 4·794 grammes. |
| ” 271, | line 5 from bottom; | read στνραξ νγρὸϛ for πνρα ζνγρὸϛ. |
| ” 368, | line 12 from bottom; | read Flora, for Floræ. |
| ” ” | ” 20 ” | ” mossing, for motsing. |
| ” 369, | ” from top; | read José, for Jose. |
| ” 404, | ” 2 frrom bottom; | read Xarnauz, for Xarnaux. |
| ” ” | footnote 7; | read por, for par. |
| ” ” | line 12 from bottom; | read Barbarigo, for Barberigo. |
| ” 407, | ” 5 ” | ” benzoic, for benzoin. |
| ” 469, | lines 21 and 24 from top; | |
| with reference to Nicotiana rustica and N. repanda, | ||
| see Pharm. Journ. ix. (1878) 710. | ||
| ” 558, | footnote 3; | read 562, for 652. |
| ” 559, | line 24 from top; | read 1849, for 1749. |
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
The premature death—March 24, 1875—of my lamented friend Daniel Hanbury, having deprived me of his invaluable assistance, I have attempted to prepare the new edition of our work with adherence to the same principles by which we were guided from the beginning.