VIII INTRODUCTION. 



as is consistent with perspicuity, so as to 

 be intelligible to the weakest capacity. 



Before the present introduction is closed, 

 it may not be improper to caution prac- 

 titioners against using had drugs. If he is 

 accustomed to purchase his seeds and 

 roots in ?ipo%vdered ^i-^te, he must reckon on 

 being deceived ; for, in general, they are 

 either prepared from bad or damaged ar- 

 ticles, or are adulterated more than one 

 h^lf. Besides, as seeds mostly contain a 

 large portion of essential oil, if they are 

 kept in a pulverized state, they will soon 

 exhale the volatile matter ; in which 

 • their medical qualities chiefly reside. 



Such is the design which the author has 

 attempted to accomplish ; with what suc- 

 cess, the intelligent practitioner and a can- 

 did public will now decide. That the fol- 

 lowing pages are entirely free fiom defi- 

 ciences, is more perhaps than he is en-r 



