viii PREFACE. 



What has been written under the head of Adulteration is chiefly 

 the result of actual observation, or might otherwise have been much 

 extended. The authors would rather rely on the characters laid down 

 in preceding sections than upon empirical methods for the determina- 

 tion of purity. The heading of Substitutes has been adopted for 

 certain drugs, more or less related to those described in special articles, 

 yet not actually used by way of adulteration. 



A work professing to bring together the latest researches in any 

 subject will naturally be thought to contain needless innovations. 

 Whilst deprecating the inconvenience of changes of nomenclature, the 

 authors have had no alternative but to adopt the views sanctioned by 

 the leaders of chemical and botanical science, and which the progress 

 of knowledge has required. The common designations of drugs may 

 indeed remain unchanged : — hellebore, aconite, colchicum, anise, and 

 caraway, need no modernizing touch. But when we attempt to com- 

 bine with these simple names, words to indicate the organ of the plant 

 of which they are constituted, questions arise as to the strict applica- 

 tion of such terms as root, rhizome, tuber, corm, about which a 

 diversity of opinion may be entertained. 



It has been the authors' aim to investigate anew the field of Vege- 

 table Materia Medica, in order as far as possible to clear up doubtful 

 points, and to remove some at least of the uncertainties by which the 

 subject is surrounded. In furtherance of this plan they have availed 

 themselves of the resources offered by Ancient and Modern History ; 

 nor have they hesitated to lay under contribution either the teaching 

 of men eminent in science, or the labours of those who follow the paths 

 of general literature. How far they have accomplished their desire 

 remains for the public to decide. 



CORRIGENDA. 



3 57, foot-note 4 ; for qui produit, read qui a produit. 

 86, 13th line from bottom ; for Bauchin, read Bauhin. 

 128, foot-note 3 ; read Adversariorum, /or Adersariorum. 

 161, line from top ; read southern and south-western part, /or northern part. 

 265, foot-note 2 ; for 4794 grammes, read 4794 grammes. 

 271, line 6 from bottom ; read ardpa^ vypbs for irvpa-^vypos. 



368, line 12 from bottom ; read Flora, for Flora;. 



,. .. 20 „ ,, mossing, /or motsing. 



369, „ 17 from top ; read Jos6, for Jose. 



404, ,, 2 from bottom ; read Xamauz, for Xamaux. 



,, foot-note 7 ; read por, /or par. 



,, line 12 from bottom ; read Barbarigo, /or Barherigo. 

 407, ,, 6 ,, ,, benzoic, /or benzoin. 



469, lines 21 and 24 from top ; with reference to Nicotiana rustica and 

 N. repanda, see Pharrn. Joum. ix. (1878) 710. 



558, foot-note 3 ; read 502, for 652. 



559, line 24 from top ; read 1849, for 1749. 



