xviii INTRODUCTORY 



of the synonyms of drug names and their derivation, nothing has been 

 written which is adequate to the needs of this subject. It is one of 

 the most difficult phases of pharmacognosy, and requires that the 

 student shall be acquainted not only with the principles of scientific 

 nomenclature, but that he shall be familiar with the several languages 

 and the historical development of pharmacognosy. Tschirch 

 has designated this department of pharmacognosy, pharmaco- 

 etymology. 



Finally, there is a phase of pharmacognostical work that is 

 receiving greater attention each year, and this is the division which 

 relates to the study of drugs from the time they are shipped by 

 the collector until they reach the retail pharmacist or even the con- 

 sumer. This subject cannot be ignored, for it involves the study of 

 the packing of drugs, the conditions of storage, and the changes in 

 the quality of drugs in passing from hand to hand. /While some few 

 drugs remain more or less unaltered, or even may be improved on 

 storing for a limited time, a large number of the more valuable of them 

 require that they be kept under special conditions and for a very lim- 

 ited period of time. As indicating the importance of the subject the 

 various pharmacopoeias are giving very explicit directions regarding 

 the manner in which certain drugs shall be kept and how long they 

 will retain their active constituents. This study requires an 

 intimate acquaintance on the part of the pharmacognocist with the 

 collector, the appraiser's stores, the wholesale warehouse, and the 

 retail drug store. 



It should also be stated that in practice we have a scientific 

 pharmacognosy and a practical one. The problems of these two 

 departments of pharmacognosy may be the same, as may also be 

 the results, but the objects in view are very different. In the one, 

 investigations are carried on that our knowledge of drugs may be 

 made more complete and the investigator considers neither the 

 cost nor the time. In the other the expert proceeds so far in the 

 search for this knowledge as the problem in hand permits. The 

 results of the scientific investigator will be published, whereas the 

 results of the practical expert are usually withheld. 



To a scientific mind the practices of commercial life are enig- 

 matical, especially as they relate to- the sale of foods and drugs. 

 The scientist is familiar with the great variation of commercial 

 products and has been publishing for many years the results of his 

 studies with the view of benefiting mankind. So engrossed is he in 

 his search for the truth that he can hardly conceive that others are 

 not working toward this same end. One can imagine his disappoint- 



