vi HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 



accomplished. He personally accepted the responsi- 

 bility for the history of all the vegetable drugs of the 

 Pharmacopeia, of both the Eighth and Ninth Decen- 

 nial Revisions. This he now presents, completed, as 

 a personal offering to the Society. As one fully com- 

 petent to undertake the history of the definite Chem- 

 icals and Pharmaceutical Compounds of the Pharma- 

 copeia, Dr. Lloyd suggested the name of Dr. Sigmund 

 Waldbott, whose exceptional experiences in library re- 

 search, and whose knowledge of languages and science 

 generally are so well known. Dr. Waldbott agreed to 

 assume this responsibility, and selected as his associate 

 Professor Francis Farnham Heyroth, M.A. The out- 

 line of the work as planned by them was presented to 

 the Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Dohme, and 

 having been approved by him, research work was be- 

 gun by them on June 25, 1917. 



As the author of Volume I understands the subject, 

 the intent is to locate, with reference data, not only the 

 earliest attainable uses made of each Pharmacopeial 

 drug, but important historical incidents in the passing 

 along. Early in the progress of the work it became evi- 

 dent, from the abundance of material to be considered, 

 that it would be impracticable, as well as unnecessary, 

 to do more in a given study than record the titles of a 

 comparatively few of the many publications connected 

 with each subject. To attempt to duplicate references 

 in the setting of each drug, as recorded in the various 

 series of Dispensatories, Pharmacopeias, Materia Med- 

 icas and kindred works on medicine and pharmacy, 

 past and present, as well as the innumerable pamphlets, 

 historical notes, Society Proceedings and Treatises that 



