338 



PHARMACEUTICAL HERBARIA. 



1866. 



Public 

 Herbaria. 



Mounting 

 botanical 

 specimens. 



Paper for 

 Mounting. 



tropical plants as the Clove, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cassia Fistula, 

 Pareira Brava arid Quassia. 



One of the more complete herbaria of the character I have 

 attempted to describe ought to be preserved at Bloomsbury 

 Square, and others in the rooms of the Branch Societies at 

 Edinburgh, Liverpool, etc. ; but in addition I would suggest to 

 those who feel or wish to feel interested in botany, to commence 

 themselves the formation of an herbarium of medicinal plants, 

 taking as a nucleus those commonest plants of our gardens, fields, 

 hedgerows and commons, the Cherry-Laurel, Lavender, Dan- 

 delion, Bittersweet, Elder or Foxglove. 



It is unnecessary here to describe the simple operation of 

 preparing botanical specimens (an operation for which a phar- 

 macist has several facilities) ; but a few words may be said on 

 the best method of mounting them so as to render them at once 

 convenient for reference, and as little liable as possible to 

 sustain injury from handling and from the depredation of in- 

 sects. In the first place it should be a rule that no specimen 

 should be mounted unless previously brushed over with an 

 alcoholic solution of corrosive sublimate, a precaution against the 

 ravages of a certain mischievous little beetle, extremely ready to 

 prey on dried leaves. Specimens having been subjected to this 

 operation should be redried with slight pressure, and are then 

 ready to be fastened to the paper on which they are to be ul- 

 timately preserved. This may be done simply with short, 

 narrow strips of paper, gummed or glued so as to hold down the 

 stems and more prominent parts. Specimens thus fastened can 

 be readily removed, when it is desirable to replace them by 

 better ; but for an herbarium that is to be frequently handled 

 (and by others'than its owner) it is preferable to resort to a 

 method of attaching specimens still more secure, and this is con- 

 veniently effected by the use of common glue brushed while hot 

 over at least a portion of the specimen. Strips of gummed 

 paper may be conveniently used in addition for the better secur- 

 ing of woody stems, roots, bulbs, and such like. The paper on 

 which specimens are mounted should be good and stout, and in 

 oblong pieces measuring about 17 inches by 10. The usual 



