TO 



THE COURT OF EXAMINERS 



OF 



THE SOCIETY OF APOTHECARIES, 



LONDON. 



GENTLEMEN, 



As Guardians of the education of a very con- 

 side7'able part of the Medical Pi^ofession, the subject of the 

 following pages cannot be otherwise than interesting to you. 

 If a knowledge of the Plants from which medicinal substances 

 are obtained, is in itself an object of importance, as it most 

 imdoubtedly is, the Science which teaches the art of judging 

 of the hidden qualities of unknown vegetables by their external 

 .characters is of still greater moment. To what extent this 

 can safely be carried, it is not, in the actual state of human 

 knowledge, possible to foresee ; but it is at least certain, that 

 it depends entirely upon a careful study of the natural rela- 

 tions of the Vegetable Kingdom. 



Measures have lately been taken by the Society of 

 Apothecaries, which cannot fail to exercise a most bene- 

 ficial influence upon Botany, and which ?7iust have been 



