INTRODUCTION. 
lvii 
lie brought to the notice of the medical profession several medi- 
cinal plants in common use amongst the inhabitants of India. 
The advantages which Saharanpore possesses for the naturali- 
zation of plants of the colder regions induced him to try and 
cultivate the medicinal plants of other countries. He also contri- 
buted an excellent paper on the Bazar medicines to the Journal 
of the Bengal Asiatic Society.* 
Mention should also be made to the labors of the Agri- 
Horticultural Society. The Society with its branches in different 
parts of India has rendered some help to the cause of indigenous 
drugs, as is evident by the Transactions of the Society. 
Sir William O’Shaughuessy, who was the first Director of 
Telegraphs in India and occupied the chair of Chemistry at the 
Medical College, Calcutta, spent many years in investigating 
the subject of indigenous drugs. Several drugs were for the 
first time chemically analysed by him. Dr. Wallich, who was 
at that time in charge of the Calcutta Botanical Garden, 
rendered him much help in identifying the medicinal plants of 
India. The combined labors of O’Shaughnessy and Wallich 
have produced the valuable pharmacopoeia of Bengal, published 
under the authority of the Government of Bengal in 1814. No 
pains were spared by O’Shaughnessy to make use of the labors 
of his predecessors. The publication of this work gave a fresh 
stimulus to the study of indigenous drugs. The subject even 
engaged the attention of chemists and pharmaceutists of Europe, 
and several drugs were admitted as officinal in the pharmaco- 
poeias of other countries. 
The holding of exhibitions' 'has been the most important 
means in increasing our knowledge of indigenous drugs. I 
doubt if the amount of information which we possess at present 
about indigenous drugs could have been derived from any other 
source. The idea of exhibitions originated with the late Prince 
Albert, under whose auspices the first one was held in London 
in 1851. Dr. Royle was placed in charge of indigenous drugs, but 
I do not think the first exhibition, which was rather a trial, made 
* This paper was published under the titie “ Articles of Maferia Medics. 
obtained in the Bazars of India,” in the first volume of the Bengal Asiatic 
Society’s Journal. / 
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