r. PREFACE. - (aq 
HE available information concerning the drugs and” 
- » medicinal plants of India is scattered through a 
number of books and periodicals in various languages; 
as well as official documents, which have only had a 
very limited circulation. 
The authors of the work now presented to the public 
have endeavoured to collect and verify this informatic 
nd sup plement it where deficient by original investi; 
pecially directed towards the elucidation of 
emical composition and physiological action of. the : 
plants and drugs. 
; _ Plants of historical and mythological interest which’ 
have long been used in Indian medicine from. ‘supers 
tious reasons, though possessing little or no medicin: 
4 activity, have not been omitted, as the history of Indi: 
medicaments would be incomplete without them. ° In 
an 1883. one of us published a similar work trea 
f the medicinal plants of Western India and the d 
in 
