176 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



The present state of the collection is quite satisfactory to the cura- 

 ator. Most of the specimens are in good condition, and liable only to 

 unavoidable deterioration from age, exposure to light, aud changes of 

 temperature. It is to be hoped that a substitute for the present cylin- 

 drical bottle may be devised for exhibition purposes, whereby the speci- 

 mens may be shown behind plane instead of curved surfaces of glass. 

 There are now on exhibition 3,213 specimens of drugs, classified as 

 follows : 



Medicinal forms 116 



Animal products 112 



Officinal vegetable products 1,237 



Chemical and inorganic products 196 



Mineral waters and tbeir constituents 95 



Indigenous vegetable products , 162 



Medicines of North American Indians 116 



Mexican drugs 43 



West Indian drugs 77 



South American drugs 45 



Drugs of India 325 



Chinese medicines 469 



Japanese medicines 115 



Corean medicines 100 



Miscellaneous 7 



3,213 



These specimens are illustrated by 235 colored plates and 37 micro- 

 graphs, displayed in the cases, and also 426 by colored plates and 1 micro- 

 graph, mounted in swinging frames, supported upon pillars standing at 

 the entrances to the alcoves. 



In the reserve series there are: 



Cinchona barks 99 



Crushed and powdered drugs 204 



Fluid extracts 200 



Pills and granules 70 



Oils 36 



Chemical products 33 



South American drugs - 108 



Corean medicines 107 



Miscellaneous 346 



Total 1,203 



The miscellaneous drugs include the rare articles, many of them un- 

 identified or bearing only a vernacular name, which are withheld from 

 exhibition until further information can be obtained about them. 



In the duplicate series are 800 specimens, mostly inclosed in paste- 

 board boxes, and arranged in drawers conveniently accessible. 



Exhibition series : 



Specimens 3, 213 



Illustrations 699 



Reserve series 1,203 



Duplicate series 800 



Total 5,915 



