PREFACE. 



the past few years the anatomy of drug and the 

 microscopical characters of powdered drugs and food- 

 substances have attracted constantly increasing attention in this 

 and other countries ; and such studies now occupy an important 

 place in the educational curriculum of pharmacists and analysts 

 both in Europe and in America. 



The works that deal with these subjects are few in number, and 

 differ considerably in their treatment of the matter and in the 

 character of the illustrations that form an indispensable accom- 

 paniment, but an atlas dealing with vegetable powders from an 

 essentially practical point of view, provided with clear and accurate 

 illustrations, and published at a price within the means of every 

 student, was still a desideratum. We therefore willingly accepted 

 the invitation of the Editor of the PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL to 

 prepare a series of articles on the subject for insertion at intervals 

 in the Journal. These articles have formed the basis of our 

 "Anatomical Atlas of Vegetable Powders," which, however, has 

 been rendered more complete by the addition of a number of 

 drugs not treated of in the PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL. 



Our thanks are due to the Council of the Pharmaceutical 

 Society, and to the Editor of the PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL, not 

 only for permission to reprint the articles published, but also for 

 the unfailing courtesy which has been extended to us. 



The subject matter has been divided into convenient sections, 

 each of which is preceded by a brief discussion of the general 

 structure of the drugs belonging to it. The anatomy of each 

 individual drug is described, and the description followed by the 

 enumeration in italics of the principal din gnostic characters. On 

 the opposite page there will be found an illustration, in which the 

 anatomical elements of the powder, especially those that serve to 

 distinguish it from other powders, are reproduced with the greatest 

 possible accuracy. The letters, etc., used in the illustration, 

 together with their explanations, are arranged below it; in alpha- 

 betical order. 



