— S14 — 



Sir W. Hooker, in a letter addressed to the author, 

 pays that he would like to see experiments tried upon 

 the plants supposed with more or less foundation to 

 possess certain virtues, it would, says he, be an impor- 

 tant task for some skilful chemist or physician of the 

 colony. He would also wish to see in a new edition 

 mention made, i\ot only of medicinal plants, hut also 

 of those used in the arts and for useful purposes, 

 hnown as economical plants. 



Professor Van Martins, of Munich, in a letter to 

 our agent, Mr J. Morris, in London, says : 



" You have made me a very valuable present with 

 Mr Bouton's work on the Medical Flora of his island, 

 and I beg you to accept for yourself and for Mr Bouton" 

 my best thanks. It is valuable both to botanists and 

 pratical physicians. I see that the Medidna Domestica ■ 

 is there deriving from two sources : from old East In- 

 dian traditions as they are principally conveyed also 

 in Rheede and Rumphius, and from those of the Ne- 

 groes introduced into the Mascarenhas immediately 

 with colonization. The french are what we call in Ger- 

 many curiosi. They experiment much and so resulted 

 agreat " apparatus medicaminum," Avhich will undoubt- 

 edly very after be substituted Avith effect to strong 

 chemical compositions. I have seen myself among the 

 Indians of Brazil effects of fresh herbs which seemed 

 miraculous. 



" In general the indigenous medical plants seem not 

 to prevail in power, but perhaps it would be interesting 

 to prepare from, the medical plants belonging to active 

 and pov/erful families, great quantity of extracts for 

 the purpose of chemical investigation. _ 



" The Flora of the Mascarenhas is very peculiar m 

 some respects. Perhaps it produces also some chemical 

 elements of great efficacy in the abstruse laboratory of 

 its plants. Therefore I beg of you to give to Mr Bou- 

 ton some hints respecting such particular productions, 

 vizt. : succi lactei, gummata, resins, coloring matters m 

 sufficient quantity for chemical analysis. My son, who 

 is u pupil of Wohler, of Gottingen, would easily ana- 

 lyse them." ^ 

 " What surprises mc much in looking over this woiic,. 



