REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 227 



<'The classification adopted is as follows: 



'■'■ Piimary divisions. — 1. Animal products; 2. Vegetable products; 3. 

 Products of fermentation and distillation; 4. Inorganic products. The 

 first division follows the usual order of animal classification from highest 

 to lowest. The second division is arranged in the sequence given in 

 Beutham and Hooker's "Genera Plantarum." The fourth division fol- 

 lows the classification of Eoscoe and Schorlemmer in their "Treatise 

 on Chemistry. 



"A separate exhibit has been made of a large collection of Chinese 

 medicines, which came into the possession of the Museum after the Cen- 

 tennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876; 630 of these articles were 

 found to be in sufQciently good condition for exhibition, and have been 

 inclosed in the standard jars of the Museum and arranged in the cases 

 in the order given above, except that in the second division the classifi- 

 cation has been founded on the part of the plant furnishing the drug, 

 as roots, barks, flowers, seeds, &c. This was necessary on account of 

 the impossibility of determining the botanical sources of manj* of these 

 drugs. In the light of the valuable researches of Dr. Porter Smith, 

 medical missionary in China, as published in his work on the Chinese 

 materia medica, this collection will be found to possess very great 

 interest. 



"The regular series commences with an illustrative exhibit of the 

 forms in which medicines appear in commerce and are prepared for ad- 

 ministration by the pharmacist. This terminological collection consists 

 of characteristic sample illustrating the definitions of roots, rhizomes, 

 tubers, and all other forms of crude vegetable drugs; the metals, metal- 

 lic salts, mineral and vegetable acids, and other chemical products; and 

 the pharmaceutical preparations, both solid and liquid, such as pills, 

 plasters, tinctures, sirups, and the rest. 



"Following this are the articles of the materia medica, arranged ac- 

 cording to the classification previously given. 



"About 500 labels have been prepared,' most of which are now in the 

 hands of the printer. The labels are of two kinds: 1st. Generic cards, 

 that may be of any required size, and are intended to give a concise state- 

 ment of the varieties, sources, modes of collection and preparation, com- 

 mercial value, and other facts of interest concerning each of the impor- 

 tant crude drugs; 2d. Individual or specific labels, limited to a few 

 lines, giving name, source, theurapeutical uses and doses. The prepara- 

 tion of these labels is believed to be the most important work in hand 

 in this section, since the information thereon presented must supply to 

 the general visitor whatever of interest can attach to the monotonous 

 rows of bottles which comprise the collection. 



" 3. Early in the organization of this section, arrangements were made 

 to obtain the latest editions of the pharmacopoeias of all nations where 

 such publications could be found. These pharmacopoeias have an oflEi- 

 cial character, and contain lists of those substances of the materia medica 



