REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 193 



of the drug exhibit of several countries, at the Centennial Exhibition 

 at Philadelphia in 1876, which were presented to the United States by 

 the authorities of those countries. 



As a whole the collection already represents the principal drugs in 

 most of their commercial varieties in present use among the civilized 

 people of the world, including most of the new remedies that have 

 been lately introduced to the notice of the profession. 



An alphabetical index to the collection has been prepared and printed, 

 giving the details of the classification and the position therein of every 

 specimen on exhibition. 



The collection of cinchona barks is especially complete, comprising 

 specimens of nearly all the natural barks of South America, and every 

 variety of the cultivated product from the Government plantations of 

 India, with many from Java, Ceylon, Mexico, and Jamaica. 



The India and Jamaica barks are accompanied by herbarium speci- 

 mens of the leaf and flower, and in some cases the fruit, of each variety 

 of cinchona tree from which the bark is taken. 



For the proper preservation and exhibition of the whole collection 

 great care has been taken. Every specimen is inclosed in a clear glass 

 bottle or jar, furnished with a well-fitted glass stopper. The bottles 

 have been made of uniform shapes and sizes according to the standard 

 established for the Museum. Care has been exercised that every speci- 

 men should be thoroughly dry before being inclosed, and, if liable to at- 

 tacks of insects, has been enveloped in an atmosphere of chloroform by 

 introducing into the bottle a small slip of blotting-paper wetted with 

 the insecticide. The cases in which the collection is exhibited are of 

 Mexican mahogany, 7 feet high and 8^ feet long, with plate-glass doors, 

 the door-frames being rabbeted so as to make the cases practically dust- 

 proof. The cases contain each four shelves, the lowest 18 inches, and 

 the highest 5 feet, from the floor, thus bringing every specimen within 

 easy range of vision. Each bottle stands upon a wooden pedestal 4 

 inches square and 1 inch high, and to this pedestal is attached the la- 

 bel. 



Without doubt the most important duty connected with the installa- 

 tion of the collection is the preparation of the labels. Monotonous rows 

 of bottles bearing only the name of the drug inclosed would furnish lit- 

 tle interest and less of information to the general visitor. Indeed, the 

 exhibition of many articles which present no physical peculiarities dis- 

 cernible by the naked eye, is only to be justified by the fact that the 

 specimen calls attention to and gives support for a label which inter- 

 prets it. 



In the preparation of these labels more difficulty has been encoun- 

 tered than was expected, chiefly in making choice from the mass of in- 

 formation at hand of those facts most important to be presented, that 

 could be concentrated into the few lines of type to which the label must 

 be restricted, at the same time keeping in mind the popular as well as 

 H. Mis. 69 13 



