Camp • The Herbarium in Scientific Research 75 



barium * 1,999,999 specimens of plants, finds himself cut off from his source of 



Looked at as they are, each specimen supply: Where else in the world does it 



arranged according to its species, each grow and, if not, is there somewhere a 



species to its genus, and each genus to related plant which might be substi- 



its family, this mass of specimens would tuted? The horticulturist or agricultur- 



be only a dry and sterile monument to ist finding one of his crops seriously 



man's passion for clasisfication were it threatened by some uncontrollable 



not put to some use. But it is. Ob- blight, seeks some immune form with 



viously, not each specimen, and every which it may be hybridized and thus 



day, but no day passes in the life of any partake of its hardiness. Long experi- 



membcr of this staff without having to encc has taught him that nature, with 



make recourse to this repository of her innumerable variations, has already 



botanical variations, this storehouse of produced such a form and, being wise, 



information, much of which has not he will consult an herbarium before 



and, by its very nature, cannot be re- starting his search, in order to first learn 



corded in books. where he is most likely to find such a 



In this place no outline will be form, and with a minimum of effort, 



made of the published work by the To the layman, these queries which 



members of the staff based wholly or come to an herbarium may seem ro- 



in part on specimens in this herbarium, mantic but to the taxonomist they are 



or for that matter, no attempt will be a daily routine, a part of the job. If he 



made to list the results of the work succeeds in answering the question it 



done on the more than sixteen thous- is because his reply is backed by suffi- 



and specimens on loan last year from cient information. If he fails, it is be- 



this herbarium to workers in other insti- cause he does not have enough record 



tutions. specimens at his command. 



Neither can one more than briefly But, as intimated previously, the use 



mention a few of the other uses to of an herbarium is not confined solely 



which the herbarium is put. A physi- to answering these immediately prac- 



cian has a patient allergic to the pollen tical and necessar)' questions. There is 



of a certain plant and inquires: What back of it a more fundamental thing: 



are its blooming dates so that his pa- the dim but growing realization in the 



tient can arrange his vacation; and mind of man that, if he is to succeed, 



where can he go, preferably not too far if he is to continue his existence, he 



awav, to a place where tlie air is free must first master his environment; but 



of this pollen? A chemist has discov- before he can master his environment 



ered that the extract of a certain plant he must understand it and, his mind 



—otherwise unknown to him— is a being what it is, to understand it, he 



potent insecticide: Where does it grow; must classify it. 



and can it be obtained in commercial Now plants are things fundamental 



quantities? A clinician finds that a lit- to man and he will exist only as he 



tie-known plant poison is effective in understands them and communicates 



alleviating certain forms of ner\'Ous this knowledge to his fellows. And to 



disorders resulting in paralysis: Just communicate this information he must 



what is this plant; and where can it be use words and call each plant by name, 



found? Because of world conditions, Therefore, in the final analysis, it is to 



a manufacturer of materials based on a place where specimens are kept, ali- 



certain vegetable products suddenly quot samples of the plants of all the 



* New York Botanic Garden — Ed. 



