PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 
IN the catalogues of the Materia Medica, the productions of 
the animal and mineral kingdoms bear a small proportion to those 
of the vegetable. Though it must be acknowledged that for some 
time past the medicinal uses of vegetable simples. have been less 
regarded by physicians than they were formerly, which probably 
may be ascribed to the successive discoveries and improvements 
in chemistry; it would however be difficult to shew that this 
preference is supported by any conclusive reasoning drawn from 
a comparative superiority of Chemicals over Galenicals, or that 
the more general use of the former has actually led to a more 
successful practice, 
@ Although what may be called the herbaceous part of the Materia 
Medica, as now received in the British pharmacoperias, comprises 
but a very inconsiderable portion of the vegetable world ; yet 
limited as it now is, few medicinal practitioners have a distinct 
botanical knowledge of the individual plants of which it is com- 
posed, though generally well acquainted with their effects and 
pharmaceutical uses. But the practitioner, ‘who is unable to 
distinguish those plants which he prescribes, is not only subjected ~ 
to the impositions of the ignorant and fraudulent, but must feel 
a dissatisfaction which the inquisitive and philosophic mind will 
bé anxious to remove, and to such it is presumed Mepicat Botany, 
by collecting and supplying the information necessary on this 
subject, will be found an acceptable and useful work; the pro- 
Von. I 
