LTNTTEAK SOCIETY OF LONDON. 23 



In liis ' Conspectus Materise Medicae ' Linnaeus gives the usual 

 proofs of exceeding care, and of the accuracy and similarity of 

 metl^.od, which are found in all his works. The amount of pains- 

 taking observation, deep research, and compilation is indeed great 

 in this book. Nothing is out of place ; every thing relating to 

 the subject is recorded ; and the few omissions are rectified in 

 the copy belonging to this Society, and appear as marginal 

 notes ; so that the students of that age liad before them all the 

 weapons of the healing art readily distinguishable, and with their 

 uses and operations tabulated. Much of the first part of this 

 ' Conspectus ' is more of antiquarian interest than directly useful. 

 Nevertheless many a household word of physic is found, if not for 

 the first time, in the ' Conspectus ' very carefully explained ; and, 

 in parts, the work may be called a book on therapeutics. 



Thesufferiugs of humanity have been great at the hands of physic 

 and physicians ; and it was hard on the human race that whilst 

 it was struggling in the rise of rationalism, it should have had 

 such horribly unpalatable remedies for nature's ills. But whether 

 the maierioB were nice or nasty, useful or innocuous, Linu^us 

 classified them tersely, yet positively, enough. He treated the 

 drug-yielding plant or animal or mineral as a something to be 

 brought within a higher therapeutical group, and this into one of 

 a series of grand divisions which related to the manner in which 

 the drug acted. Old names are found '\\\ these divisions which 

 were used in physic half a century ago, but which have been 

 eliminated since, such as Borborygmia, Sternatutoria, Sophisti- 

 cantia ; and one can believe that Linua?us enjoyed recording 

 these loud-sounding terms for matters which are less elegantly 

 expressed in the vulgar tongue. He conscientiously states how 

 each drug tastes, smells, and looks. 



As a curiosity one may take a Eodent, or rather one of the 

 Glires, as a remedy given : — 



'■'Lepus tmiclus. Cauda abbreviata, auriculis apice nigris. 



" Loais. Europa. 



*■' Pilar m. prep. Leporis Tali. 



" Comp. Pulv. pleuriticus. 



" Qual. Os primum metatarsi in suffragiue posteriori. 



" Vis. Absorbeus. 



" Usns. Colica, Pleuritis, Epilepsia, &c." 



Amongst the Animalia which contributed to the Materia 

 Medica of the age of Linnaeus was, accox-diug to him. Homo 

 sapiens, placed at the head of the Prin)ates : — " Locus. Per 

 totum terrarum orbem, at Muniia in ^Egypto. 



" Pharm. Hominis. 1. Cranium : raspatum, prseparatum. 

 "2. Ossa. 

 " 3. Axungia, Sal Sanguinis, Uriute. 



" Comp. Pulv. de Guttata, Arthetic. Specific, cephal. ; Mumia. 



" Qual. 1, 2 insipida, inodora, terreo-gelatiuosa. 3 pinguis. 



" Vis. 1, 2 absorbeus. 3 emoUiens. 



" Usus. 1 Epilepsia." 



