93 



The book was popular in its day, running into many editions 

 during the thirty years after its appearance. In spite of this, copies 

 are excessively rare. It is here presented both in facsimilie and 

 in "modernized" version, with an extensive introduction given 

 largely to bibliographic review. The printer has done a careful 

 job, the pages in facsimile are easily legible, and the small volume 

 is neat if not distinguished. 



In the "modernized" version the spelling and punctuation are 

 changed to accord with modern usage, and explanatory notes are 

 added here and there. Although we are told that misprints in the 

 chapters have been corrected, we find "afifodil," an obvious mis- 

 print for "asfodil" ; the characters f and .? being so similar. And 

 it is curious that "Abrotinum" is changed to "Abrotanum" in the 

 text, while other names (e.g., "Aristologia") are not so treated. 

 The most puzzling feature introduced by the editors is the inclusion 

 in brackets after the chapter headings (which are transcribed 

 unchanged) of "corrected forms, as well as alternative forms which 

 might be of use to the modern reader in the identification of some 

 of the herbs." I should have supposed that modern botanical names 

 would be of use here; but "Asfodillus" is changed to Asphodilus, 

 "Euforbium" to Euphorhiuui, and "Petrocilium" to Petrosilium; 

 "Daucus creticus" is corrected (?) to criticus; and what are 

 Amarus ca and Centumnodiaf Surely the uninitiated reader is 

 entitled to an explanation of these scholarly mysteries. The work 

 concludes with an "Index of herbs and plants," which is actually 

 an alphabetical list, without page numbers, of all the plant names 

 not used in the chapter headings. No indication is given of which 

 herbs are hot plants. ^^ „. „ 



^ H. W. RiCKETT 



New York Botanical Garden 

 New York, N. Y. 



