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98 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY (Apr 
The advance workers in pharmaceutical vegetable his- 
tology abroad, as well as in this country, have employed 
the microscope for a number of years. A few eminent 
specialists of Germany and France have studied the his- 
tology of medicinal plants since 1825. The earlier Ger- 
man investigators also devoted much of their attention to 
the microscopical examination of foods and spices, tex- 
tile fabrics, and various other commercial products. Some 
of this work was really Herculean, and it would be high- 
ly interesting to enter into a fuller discussion, but space 
will not permit. Those-who have the time and opportu- 
nity can look upon the results of such work as recorded in 
German pharmaceutical and botanical journals and in the 
various reports on hygiene and city sanitation. 
According to Pocklington, the use of the compound mi- 
croscope in English pharmacy dates from 1850, when Dr. 
Hassell laid before the Botanical Society of London a paper 
on the histology of coffee and its adulterants. The micro- 
scope was introduced into American pharmacy a few years 
later. In England, as well as in the United States, the 
use of the compound microscope in pharmaceutical prac- 
tice progressed very slowly, until about 1880 or a few 
years later, in spite of the earnest recommendations of a 
few leading teachers and investigators. Since 1880 some 
very energetic work has been done in America. Many of 
the investigations are, however, defective, and a mere | 
repetition of the work already done in Continental Ku- 
rope, particularly in Germany. It is much to be regret- 
ted that a truly scientific spirit does not more permeate 
English-speaking nations. The great majority of the sci- 
entific work done is primarily instigated and abetted by 
commercialism and hence does not attain to the lasting, 
far-reaching results of the work of our patient and care- 
ful German investigators, whose prime motive is to find 
out. | 
In 1853, Dr. F. Hoffmann recommended the use of the 
