PREFACE. 



It is the misfortune of common names, as applied to plants, that they 

 are very apt to be used loosely. Sometimes the same name is given to widely 

 different plants, and again a plant will have several cominon names. The 

 greatest confusion prevails among the common names of our native plants. 

 There are about a dozen known as Snake Root ; three as Checkerbeny, and 

 five as Yellow Root ; hence we are not surprised to find four or five distinct 

 plants in different localities called by the same common name. If those per- 

 sons who hold in contempt the botanical names of plants, simply because 

 they are derived from Latin and Greek, could be perplexed as every, drug- 

 gist and apothecary is, almost daily, by the indeflniteness of common names, 

 they would gladly adopt the definite botanical one. Notwithstanding all this, 

 common local names are used, and will continue to be used, by the far 

 greater portion of the people, and it was with this fact in mind that the 

 publication of this book was commenced. It often happens that there are 

 two names, one as common as the other ; in this case, each name will refer 

 to the other, both giving the botaijical name. 



In the compilation of this work the author has consulted the best stand- 

 ard authorities and works on Materia Medica, as well as the medical publi- 

 cations of the day during the past twelve years, and the chief difficulty was 

 what to leave out, rather than what to include, and not injure the book as a 

 work of reference. An experience of eighteen years in the botanic drug 

 business, materially assisted in the selection of matter for this work. 



In the second part of the book will be found the botanical name, refer- 

 ring to the most common name that the drug or plant is known by, the 

 third column giving the medical properties, or product of the same. 



The third part gives the pharmacopoeial names, as found in the United 

 States, British, and German Pharmacopoeias, referring to the common and 

 botanical name. 



To make the work practically useful the subject has been treated with 

 plainness and simplicity as far as possible, and has at least indicated the 

 vast field for improvement in the naming of plants in common use by giving 

 one common English name instead of many (twelve for Eupatorium perfo- 

 liatum.) 



As the work is, from its nature, a compilation, the only originality that 

 can be claimed by the author is the selection and arrangement of his ma- 

 terials. 



C. E. H. 

 WrNTER Hill, Someevillb, Mass. 

 Feb. 1, 1876. 



