20 



Drugs whose physiological action is partially understood, chiefly 

 through careful clinical reports — 140, or approximately 35 

 per cent. 



Drugs used empirically or employed for "reputed" action, no satis- 

 factory records of scientific experiments or chemical investiga- 

 tions — 82, or approximately 20 per cent. 



Drugs employed primarily for purposes other than definite physio- 

 logical effects, such as flavors, colors, etc. (some not used inter- 

 nally at present) — 9, or approximately 2 per cent. 



8. Drugs of obscure or unknown origin — 2, or approximately \ per cent. 



These groups or classes are not marked by hard and fast boundary 

 lines, and perhaps no two students would agree wholly to any single 

 classification, as the personal equation enters largely into the work. A 

 drug which one might regard as sufficiently known chemically and physi- 

 ologically to be classed as "well known," another would rank as "partially 

 determined," and similar differences of opinion will arise respecting other 

 points involved, so that the classification given above is not offered as an 

 exact record of the knowledge of the representative drugs, but rather as 

 the author's estimation of that knowledge, and as said at the outset, it is 

 given as a basis or reason for the proposal of certain lines of botanical, 

 chemical and physiological investigation. 



Lest there be misconception regarding the use of little-known drugs 

 by physicians, it should be remembered that TO per cent, of all drugs 

 reviewed have been investigated chemically; that 43 per cent, have been 

 subjected to systematic physiological experiments, and that the physio- 

 logical action of 35 per cent, more is partially understood. Thus it seems 

 that from 70 to 78 per cent, are employed on the basis of demonstrated 

 value. Furthermore, it should be remembered that the 70 to 78 per cent, 

 in number constitutes a very large percentage of the volume of drugs 

 prescribed. While no statistics are available, in the opinion of the author 

 it is over 90 per cent, of the total quantity used. 



The Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science are primarily 

 intended to disseminate information of special service in the development 

 of the State and its resources. As space is limited, it is necessary to re- 

 strict further report of this address to the tables below showing the state 

 of knowledge of drug plants of Indiana. 



