CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS. 339 



method of putting by mounted specimens is to place them loose isee. 

 in brown-paper covers, which are afterwards arranged one above The Pharm- 

 another in the pigeon-holes of a cabinet. For an herbarium . & cls . ts 



D herbarium. 



specially pharmaceutical, comprising as it necessarily would but 

 a limited number of specimens, a large book made so as to open 

 flat, would probably be even more convenient than the ordinary 

 loose sheets in covers. The specimens would be retained in 

 proper sequence, and be more compact and manageable than if 

 upon separate sheets. Some well-arranged volumes of this kind 

 would afford much of the benefit to be derived from engraved 

 figures ; in fact, in many cases the examination of an actual 

 specimen is far more impressive and informing than the inspec- 

 tion of a plate. The authors of the British Pharmacopoeia have 

 carefully mentioned in what works figures may be found of the 

 several plants enumerated in that volume. The number of 

 works thus referred to is twenty-six ; many of them are of great 

 rarity and quite inaccessible to the majority of persons who 

 would wish to consult them, while to purchase the whole 

 series a sum would be required approaching 230. 



I trust I have said sufficient to show that the formation of 

 herbaria of medicinal plants is a subject that merits some 

 attention at the hands of the Pharmaceutical Society. 



EEMAEKS ON THE NECESSITY FOPt A FURTHER 

 CULTIVATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



( Cultur qfficineller Pflanzen.) 



ALL who are engaged in the buying or selling of drugs are 1867. 

 well aware of the remarkable fluctuations to which such com- Fluctuation of 

 modities are liable ; all know that a drug which at one time is Price - 

 scarce and high-priced may suddenly become so plentiful as 

 to be nearly unsaleable. This is especially the case with drugs 

 recently introduced and for reasons which it is not difficult to 

 explain. A drug, the production of a foreign country, intro- 

 duced as a novelty, is at the commencement commonly in few 

 hands, and hence a monopoly existing, a high price is obtained. 

 If the sale prove considerable and the drug bid fair to have 



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