HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION vii 



might well be consulted for special purposes, would 

 make of the Bibliography alone a huge volume. As 

 examples are cited the references following the studies 

 of lobelia and cinchona. 



The Association under whose auspices this research 

 has been accomplished embraces not only scientific 

 and professional men, but others who have interests 

 both in applied science, in serviceable commerce 

 and in varied industries. Hence occasional discussions 

 of some length concerning problems of historical value 

 connected intimately with a drug's vicissitudes in com- 

 mercial channels have been considered not out of pjace. 



It will be noticed that many drugs extensively em- 

 ployed by practicing physicians are omitted altogether 

 from the work. This is due, not to the author's un- 

 favorable opinion as regards their importance or service 

 to humanity, but to the fact that the publication is 

 restricted in its scope to the drugs of the Pharmacopeia 

 of the United States, Eighth and Ninth Decennial Re- 

 visions. 



Another limitation that is a source of much personal 

 regret is that the work, being confined to the history of 

 crude drugs, has enforced the neglect of many worthy 

 special non-official preparations derived therefrom that 

 have been perfected and introduced to the world of 

 medicine by members of our Association, as well as 

 by pharmacists, chemists and physicians. 



The author takes pleasure in stating that the trans- 

 lations from Greek and Latin authors were made by 

 his secretary, Miss Margaret Stewart, A.M., who also 

 contributed the Pharmacopeial record (following the 

 title) of each drug named in Volume I, and gave to the 

 work her continued care as research progressed. For 



