ON THE STUDY OF BOTANY IN CONNECTION WITH PHABMACY. 100 
exhibits the general ignorance of botany amongst pharmaceutists, and the ne¬ 
cessity which exists for its more careful, general, and systematic study. 
As regards plants of foreign origin, it is true that most pharmaceutists would 
have but little opportunities of becoming acquainted with them, but if such 
should be the case, and the pharmaceutist were compelled to confine his practical 
study of plants to those indigenous to, or apparently wild in, this country, he 
would find much to instruct and interest him, for he would thus not only learn 
how to distinguish the poisonous species from those which were harmless, and in 
this way might be means of averting serious accidents, but he would find many 
which were ofiicinal in the British Pharmacopoeia, and with which he ought to be 
thoroughly acquainted, as Aconitum Napellus^ Fapaver soniniferum, Papaver 
Rhceas, Sinapis nigra^ Sinapis alba, Cochlearia Armoracia, Linum usitatissimum, 
JRosa canina, Sarothamnns Scoparius, Conium maculatum, Sambucus nigra, Vale¬ 
riana officinalis, Antliemis nobilis, Taraxacum, Dens Leonis, Arctostaphylos Uva 
Ursi, Solanum Dulcamara, Datura Stramonium, Hyoscyamus niger, Atropa Bella¬ 
donna, Mentha pipenta, MentJia viridis. Digitalis purpurea. Daphne Alezereum, 
Daphne Laureola, Ulmus campestris, Humulus Lupulus, Quercus pedunculata, 
Pinus sylvestris, Abies excelsa, Juniperus communis. Crocus sativus, Colchicum 
autunmale, and Aspidiuni Filix-mas. It is botany that gives us the knowledge 
required to recognise these species, and to distinguish them from other plants 
with which they may be intentionally or ignorantly mixed, or for which they 
have been substituted. 
A knowledge, again, of the general properties of the various Natural Orders 
of plants will give us a clue in the search for new remedies ; for it is very pro¬ 
bable that in a country like our own, which, as we have just seen, contains so 
many important plants growing in a wild state, may also yield many others the 
properties of which areas yet unknown ; and even should such not be the case, it 
will doubtless direct more attention to the properties of our native plants, some of 
which are but too little appreciated at the present day, so that, in the event 
of war or any other cause which may occasion a deficiency or withdrawal of any 
of our important remedies now obtained from abroad, we might find substitutes • 
at home. I must content myself with one illustration of the importanc(^of 
keeping up a knowledge of the properties of the plants of this country. This is 
afforded us by the Aspidiuni 01 : Nephrodium Filix-mas, the male fern, one of the 
commonest plants of this country. The root, or more properly the rhizome, of 
this plant had been reputed for ages to possess powerful anthelmintic properties, 
but in consequence of the common use of medicines of like properties obtained 
from abroad, its virtues were almost lost sight of until lately, when in consequence 
of the introduction from Abyssinia of Kousso, a substance reputed’to possess 
most powerful vermifuge properties, attention was again directed to it, and it 
was introduced into the British Pharmacopoeia ; and I believe most persons will 
agree with me that its reputation is now established, as the most valuable and 
certain anthelmintic in that volume. Besides this, there are without doubt 
many other indigenous plants which are not at present officinal, or which are 
but very little employed, or whose properties are altogether unknown, which 
would be available, and would have their reputation established as important 
remedial agents should any necessity for their employment arise. 
Thus, in the first place, we may take as illustrations the Natural Orders Mal¬ 
vaceae and Gentianaceae. The plants of the former Order are generally charac¬ 
terized by mucilaginous and demulcent properties, and these are prominently 
manifested in our indigenous Althxa officinalis, and Malva srjlvestris, both of 
which were, until the publication of the British Pharmacopoeia, officinal in this 
country ; and why the former, certainly one of the best emollient and demulcent 
medicines known, should have been omitted from that volume, I am at a loss to 
conceive, for nothing has been introduced in its place which will altogether re- 
