AFebJrXr'y^9ao8m'}    Microscopic  Examination  of  Vegetable  Drugs.  89 
Not  much  need  be  said  in  regard  to  the  third  objection,  as  no 
principle  is  involved,  other  than  to  suggest  that  in  the  next  revision 
the  space  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  be  provisionally  apportioned  in 
advance,  so  that  one  department  need  not  be  handicapped  or  denied 
a  proper  amount  of  space  on  the  ground  that  other  departments 
require  it. 
III.      VEGETABLE   DRUGS  IN  THE  NEXT  PHARM ACOPCEIA. 
It  is  rather  difficult  to  say  at  this  time  just  what  will  be  done  by 
the  next  Revision  Committee  with  regard  to  the  subject  of  vege- 
table drugs,  but  it  may  safely  be  assumed  that  it  will  not  be  con- 
tent to  lag  much  behind  the  other  pharmacopoeias  in  this  respect- 
Not  only  is  this  true,  but  if  closer  relations  are  established  between 
physicians  and  pharmacists,  will  not  the  physician  expect  that  when 
he  uses  such  drugs  as  aconite,  digitalis,  ergot  and  others  that  the 
pharmacist  shall  be  familiar  with  the  latest  researches  on  these 
drugs,  just  as  he,  in  turn,  is  expected  to  be  familiar  with  the  latest 
advances  in  medicine  ?  In  order  that  the  pharmacist  may  live  up 
to  this  requirement  and  be  assured  that  the  drugs  which  he  buys 
are  genuine  and  of  good  and  uniform  quality,  it  is  necessary  then 
that  the  framers  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  take  cognizance  of  the 
advances  in  pharmacognosy,  as  has  already  been  done  by  other 
pharmacopoeias. 
With  the  increased  use  of  the  microscope  in  the  examination  of 
various  technical  products,  and  with  the  appearance  of  so  many 
works  on  the  microscopical  study  of  drugs,  foods  and  spices,  and 
with  courses  of  instruction  in  all  of  the  reputable  colleges  of  phar- 
macy, in  which  the  microscope  comes  into  daily  use,  its  value  in  the 
examination  of  both  crude  and  powdered  drugs  can  not  be  ques- 
tioned. In  this  connection,  I  may  refer  to  some  of  my  earlier  papers 
on  this  subject,1  and  before  considering  briefly  the  specific  applica- 
tion of  the  microscope  in  the  study  of  vegetable  drugs,  I  desire  to 
say  something  on 
THE  RELATIVE  VALUE  OF  CRUDE  AND  COMMINUTED  DRUGS. 
It  would  probably  be  supposed  that  as  I  have  devoted  consider- 
able attention  to  the  study  and  development  of  methods  for  the 
1  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  69  (1897),  p.  400;  and  71  (1899),  p. 
54i. 
