DEPARTMENTS OF ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



3 



product are called Homologues of each 

 other, and a Homology or Affinity is said 

 to exist between them. When they are 

 only similar, without any genetic rela- 

 tionship, they are Analogues of each other, 

 and Analogy exists between them. Mor- 



botany are named from the particular 

 arts for the advancement of which they 

 are established. Agricultural Botany is 

 subdivided into a number of different de- 

 partments, such as Agrostology, or Gra- 

 minology, the study of grasses and of their 



phology might, therefore, be defined as the culture; Horticulture, the study of garden 

 study of homologies and analogies. As plants and of their culture; Floriculture, 

 classification has been based very largely Pomology and Forestry. Doubtless a 

 ^^^"t. T^L^^^^^ and fruit structure very large and important department will 



yet be established in the study of medic- 

 inal plants and of their culture. The 

 term Medical Botany is self-explanatory 



the study of these, respectively, has been 



dignified by the titles Anthology and Car- 

 pology.* 



The description of plants in such man- as to its general nature. In use, however, 



ner that they can be recognized there- it should be more strictly regarded than is 



from IS called Descriptive Botany or Phy- customary. The term originally included 



tography Botany has also numerous de- all botany relating to medicinal plants; 



partments depending upon the class of 

 plants under study, as Phanerogamic 

 Botany, the botany of flowering plants; 

 Cryptogamic Botany, that of flowerless 

 plants; Mycology, the study of fungi; 

 Agrostology, the study of grasses. 



DEPARTMENTS OF ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



The mere fact that botanical knowledge 

 is utilized in a certain art is not sufficient 

 to establish a separate economic depart- 

 ment of the subject. This depends upon 

 its application in such a way as to de- 

 mand and receive special researches of a 

 scientific nature in the performance. The 

 history of the arts shows that very rarely 

 have the investigations of scientific botany 

 proceeded far enough or its deductions 

 been so presented, that the economic bot- 

 anist has been enabled to depend upon 

 them alone. Almost invariably has he 

 been obliged to extend and modify them in 

 special directions.. Upon such facts de- 

 pends our recognition of the absolute 

 necessity of scientific study and training 

 as a foundation for high art in any de- 

 partment. Th e departments of economic 



•The classification of plants upon the 

 «^f,Mn anthology and carpoloery alone has 

 prevailed largely m the past. The more re- 

 cent development of the department of mi- 

 nute anatomy and even of physiology has 

 Indicated an importance not previouslv 

 suspected of the facts so ascertained in 

 establishing relationships, and systematic 

 work which does not take due cognizance 

 of these subjects is not likely to be ac- 

 cepted m future. At the same time it is to 



i?*?'^*^*^.^^.^* *^^ results so reached arc 

 with but few exceptions only corrob- 

 orative of the deductions of the depart- 

 ments above mentioned. 



but with the development of Pharmacy 

 the greater portion of what was once com- 

 prised in the former term has naturally 

 and permanently established itself in the 

 form of the separate department Phar- 

 maceutical Botany. Medical Botany 

 properly concerns itself with the medic- 

 inal properties of plants, the localization 

 of the proximate principles of the latter, 

 their uses, including the principles (but 

 not the practice) of their preparations as 

 based upon such facts, and their classifi- 

 cation in view of medical considerations. 



PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY. 



In its widest scope Pharmaceutical Bot- 

 any would include the classification, phy- 

 tography, histology, distribution and cul- 

 ture of medicinal plants; the collection, 

 (Preservation, packing, transport, com- 

 merce, identification and selection, com- 

 position and methods and processes of 

 preparation for use of the drugs derived 

 from them. From this it would follow 

 that the pursuit of pharmaceutical bot- 

 any would demand a thorough knowl- 

 edge of nearly all departments of scientific 

 botany. This conclusion is to be modified, 

 in view of existing conditions, in imiK>r- 

 tant directions. The pursuit of the study 

 to such an extent would almost neces- 

 sarily involve the average pharmacist, at 

 least in this country, in financial failure, 

 through the inattention to practical af- 

 fairs which would ensue. It is the pe- 

 culiar office of the teacher of technical 

 science to place its practical benefits 

 within the reach of his students while re- 



