1849.] Bigelow on the Medical Botany of Ohio. 3 



dispense with the greater part, if not the whole of imported 

 medicines." To this opinion, however, after half a cen- 

 tury has been spent in the investigation and improvement of 

 our indigenous Materia Medica, Prof. Wood cannot assent. — 

 He says, "the present standard remedies, have for the most 

 part been gathered from all quarters of the globe, have gone 

 through every variety of trial, have been sifted out from an 

 immense mass of materials, and hence stood the test of ex- 

 perience, which for thousands of years has been in the course 

 of accumulation." Concceding all this however, it must be 

 admitted, that from custom, or indolence, or want of thought, 

 or some other cause, we are too much in the habit of depend- 

 ing on foreign countries for our supplies of vegetable medicines, 

 such, even, as we could furnish ourselves in a far purer and 

 fresher state. And when we take into consideration, the im- 

 mense amount of old, decayed, deteriorated, effete and adul- 

 terated stuff, cast upon our shores from foreign countries, said 

 to be at a cheap rate, but which, in the end, would be dear, 

 even if they paid us for using it, at the rate we charge our pa- 

 tients; it is surprising, that long ere this, we had not opened 

 our eyes to the imposition, and learned to rely on the rich re- 

 sources of our own country. I feel that a brighter day is 

 dawning, and that through the enlightened and indefatigable 

 efforts of our talented friend and colleague, Dr. Edwards, in 

 Congress, a revolution in this respect, has, at this time, com- 

 menced; and that henceforth, many domestic medicines, which 

 are superior substitutes, will be used in preference to the for- 

 eign article. When depending on our own resources, we can 

 always have them fresh at any rate, while the foreign article 

 must necessarily, in some cases, become old and effete. 



An excellent, paper by the late Prof. Duh^mkl, on the col- 

 lection, preservation and preparation of plants, will be found 

 in the American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. I. page 16^, to which 

 I must refer as the best source of information on the subject 

 that is known at this time. 



The time for collecting plants for medicinal purposes, de- 

 pends upon the parts that are required for use. Seeds, of 

 course, should only be collected when they are fairly ripe. 



It is very difficult to, dry< Jlawcrs m as to keep their sensible 

 properties, Some are inc-apablc.of being completely, dried, 

 wijt|jiout ; ^ntireJ.y. ! destroying, their, active qualities. Others, may 

 tyBc^ied! without difficulty or deterioration.- They should be 

 ^ied.as jrapidj^s possible, excluded from Ijght, at a ternpe.r- 



«t»w/of £3fr& ^dmmJtmi i roA taping °p ^ifefr&i m? 



gF^yed, o| T mnif tW> tne J m ^y ne compressed, in the manner, 

 practiced by the Shakers, which .keeps them in a very efficient 

 condition. 



