ON THE STUDY OF BOTANY IN CONNECTION WITH PHARMACY. 117 
grown, have doubtless an important influence upon their secretions. In a 
pharmaceutical point of view, so far as the active properties of the various 
medicinal preparations obtained from plants are concerned, this modification 
in the secretions of plants by such causes is of much interest, and would 
amply repay investigation, for it cannot be doubted but that each plant will 
only form its proper secretions when grown under those circumstances which 
are natural to it, and that consequently any change from such conditions 
will modify in a corresponding degree the properties of the plant. I cannot 
but believe that here we have an explanation to some extent at least, of the 
cause of the varying strength of medicinal preparations obtained from plants 
grown in different parts of this country, or in different soils, etc. 
If future experiments should demonstrate in a conclusive manner that wild 
plants are more active than those under cultivation, it will be necessary to 
ascertain what are the conditions of heat, light, exposure, soil, moisture, etc., 
which are most favourable to the full development of the medicinal proper¬ 
ties of each plant, in order that the cultivator may place them, as far as he 
is able, under such conditions. Many of our medicinal plants are now em- 
plojmd so extensively, that they could not be obtained in any proportion to 
the demand for them from wild localities, and hence cultivation must be re¬ 
sorted to to keep up the necessary supply; we would urge therefore upon 
cultivators of medicinal plants to study to place the plants they cultivate, in 
as nearly as can be ascertained, their natural conditions of growth, and 
then we have no fear that their medicinal properties will be sensibly di¬ 
minished ; indeed, we see little reason to doubt, but that as our knowledge of 
vegetable physiology and chemistry increases, when the conditions under 
which the different secretions of each particular plant have been thoroughly 
investigated,—we may increase rather than diminish their active j)roperties 
by proper cultivation. 
The above facts have been often before alluded to by me, and I have urged 
upon the cultivators of medicinal plants and others, the great importance of 
paying more attention to them, but at present, with the exception of two 
interesting papers by Mr. T. P. Bruce Warren, read at the Bath and Birming¬ 
ham meetings of this Conference, no recent investigations have occurred ; the 
subject therefore is still comparatively an open one, and one which when 
thoroughly worked out must lead to most important results. 
Many facts still crowd upon me which show how intimately the study of 
botany is connected with the practice of pharmacy, but I have now exhausted 
the time allowed for this address, and I can therefore only conclude with the 
liope that sufficient has been adduced to exhibit prominently the great ad¬ 
vantages which must accrue to pharmaceutists generally from the diligent 
study of botany. That the liberal and enlightened founders and subsequent 
promoters of the Pharmaceutical Society were fully impressed with the im¬ 
portance of botany as a branch of the studies of a pharmaceutical student is 
sufficiently proved by their having made it an important branch of their curri¬ 
culum of study, and of their examinations. The success of their endeavours in 
this respect is already becoming evident in the increased attention which is 
being directed to its study amongst pharmaceutists, and which a glance round 
this room would abundantly testify, but it is to the rising generation that we 
must look for the more perfect accomplishment of their efforts, audit has been 
with a view of forwarding so desirable an end that I have thought it ad¬ 
visable to make it the subject of my address as the President of the British 
Pharmaceutical Conference. 
At the conclusion of his address tlie President expressed his cordial thanks, 
on behalf of himself and visitors from other towns, to tlie Local Conimiitee, 
for the kind reception given to them, and for the systematic and complete 
