ee ROTANICON SINICUM: 107 
and Sz’ ch‘nan are especially famed for the medicinal hérbs they 
produce. These drugs (roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc.) for the 
most part reach the apothecary’s shop cut in little pieces or 
pulverized. The apothecary knows nothing about the plants from 
which they are derived, nor concerning the place whence they have 
been gathered. Our specialists in Europe are also seldom able to 
determine these fragments. It is the same with many other 
Chinese articles of commerce furnished by plants. It is for 
instance generally impossible to get any reliable information 
regarding the trees yielding the numerous precious woods used 
all over China for making furniture. It is therefore necessary to 
apply directly to those who collect these drugs, or who fell the 
trees; and this is not an easy task. 
The piGordépot, as the gatherers of medicinal plants were ‘saad 
in ancient Greece, are chiefly represented in China by Buddhist 
priests, They livein the temples which abound in the mountains here, 
and are usually well acquainted with medicinal and other plants, 
and with their properties and applications for domestic purposes, 
It is more easy to procure authentic specimens of the cultivated - 
vegetation of China and to ascertain the Chinese names. Great 
caution must however be observed in accepting these names 
from the statements of the natives, and in order to arrive at a 
reliable determination, various competent sources of information 
on the same subject should always be consulted, European col- 
lectors of plants in China should never omit to inquire after the 
Chinese names of the plants they gather, and should try to have 
them written on their.labels in Chinese characters. This is more 
easy to realize in China, where every beggar knows how to write, 
than European readers might imagine. Chinese names of plants, 
rendered only by European spelling, have little value, as errors 
will frequently creep in, and they are generally unintelligible even 
for sinologues. 
Having obtained specimens of plants and ascertained ja 
native names, the next step essential to the success of our investix 
gations will be to have them determined by a competent botanist. a oe 
Known ‘market for drugs. ‘The rage of th pov oF Ci 
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