INTRODUCTION. XXXV 



than the natives of any other country on the face of the earth. 

 The vegetable Materia Medica of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, 

 Jews, Babylonians, Persians, Chinese and Arabs does not 

 display such an extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and 

 drugs as does any of the authoritative medical works of the 

 Hindus. The knowledge of herbs possessed by the aborigines 

 of America, Australia or Africa, is also not very great. Regard- 

 ing the medicinal agents of the American Indians, Mr. B.F. 

 Stacey says : — - 



" From a thorough investigation I am convinced that the 

 list is not lengthy, and that there is but little to be learned from 

 their school of practice or repertoire of medicinal agents."* 



Mr. J. N. Rose, in his " Notes on Useful Plants of Mexico." 

 says : — 



" The country people and Indians seem to have but little 

 knowledge of medicine, generally using teas made of bitter and 

 strong-smelling herbs." 



Mr. J- H. Maiden writes in his " Useful native plants of 

 Australia. " (Pp. 140-147) :— 



" In fairness to ourselves we must confess ourselves very 

 little indebted to the Australian aboriginal for information as 

 to the medical (or in fact any other) properties of our plants. 

 The poor aboriginal chiefly takes interest in the vegetation as 

 supplying him with his scanty food, or as affording him fibre 

 useful in securing fish and other animal substance. As far as 

 we know, the Materia Medica of the blacks is of a very meagre 

 description, yet the acquisition of even such little knowledge 

 as they are supposed to possess has been slow and difficult, in- 

 asmuch as persons who have lived in a state of nature with 

 them have not been distinguished for either their medical or 

 botanical knowledge." 



He has very truly observed : — 



" With the native Materia Medica of India, for instance, the 

 case is very different. While some remedies are evidently used 

 fancifully, and others for every disease to which the human 



* The Pb. J. of May, 30, 1874, p. 958, 



