xxviii INTRODUCTION. 



such. Not knowing how long I might enjoy so favor- 

 able an opportunity of prosecuting my experiments^ 

 I was assiduous to determine, in the shortest possible 

 time, the qualities of most of the substances I have 

 mentioned ; consequently, I treated many of them 

 superficially, not occupying myself long with any 

 particular medicine. I preferred making a large 

 collection of such substances as had been either 

 long disused, or which were so new, that their 

 qualities and efifects were unknown or unappreciated. 

 Be it observed, most of my informations regard- 

 ing the ^^c/5 of the medicines were gathered from 

 the uncivilized natives of Asia, whose statements 

 cannot always be relied on ; and that, notwithstand- 

 ing my circumspection, mistakes may have occurred,, 

 for which I can hardly be held answerable. Many 

 ignorant persons took diflferent remedies at the same 

 time (several different kinds of lozenges, which were 

 of the same form and color ) in such cases I could 

 not decide which medicines had produced the 

 desired eff'ect. I have stated the eff'ect as attribut- 

 able to different medicines, that they may be 

 further tested. 



It also often happened, in the public hospital at 

 Lahore, that people took medicine from me and 

 from the Hakim at the same time, for the same 

 patient ; simply because both were gratis : and: 

 they took my medicines whilst they were under 

 treatment by the Jerahs for abscess, ulcer, scrofula, 

 &c., as if the interior had no connection with the 

 exterior. 



In a hasty perusal of the Bengal Dispensatory^ 

 Bengal Pharmacopeia^ Ainshes Materia- Medico, 

 Jndica^ and the summary of East Indian drugs 



