HISTORICAL SKETCH. 13 



searches, exchanges and purchases. I calculate 

 that mine containing over 10,000 species and 

 50,000 specimens, has cost me nearly ^ 2000 

 in actual expenses of time, money, travels, pa- 

 per, boxes,correspondence,transportation, books 

 of reference &c. 



Other Botanists acquire fine Herbals at the 

 risk of their health and life, Botany having also 

 its martyrs ; among whom I will n)ention Lyons, 

 Pursh, Berrich, Baldwin, Conrad, H. H. Eaton, 

 Walton, Ward, Hart, Drummond, Douglass ^^c 

 who have fallen victims to their zeal in arduous 

 travels, or from diseases contracted by their 

 labors : although some did perhaps fall victims 

 to alcohol rather than Botany, like Pursh . . . 

 and others (Schweinitz and Berrich) were 

 rather Victims of Tobacco ! both foul poisons 

 and destroyers of human life. Botanists are 

 however generaly sober and healthy, the pur- 

 suit of this Science is calculated to improve 

 their habits and health. Baldwin,Waterhouse, 

 and Conrad were victims of Phthisis and im- 

 proper food ; Botany probably lengthened their 

 lives, as it has mine after finding out how to 

 overcome this disease by my medical knowl- 

 edge of our plants. 



In voyages by Sea or Steamboats, some Bo- 

 tanists have been wrecked like myself, losing 

 their collections, and not always so happy as to 

 escape even with life like myself in 1815. I 

 have had also some narrow escapes on the 

 Ohio. Lherminier lost all his collections like 

 myself in Carolina. 



The rewards for all these dangers and ex- 

 penses are scanty as yet with us. We have 

 few professorships of Botany, and this useful 

 science is too much neglected in our Schools. 



