Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
January,  1910.  J 
The  American  Materia  Medica. 
7 
told  by  the  new  world  promoters  concerning  the  fabulous  wealth  of 
soil  and  flora  of  the  new-found  land,  the  almost  superhuman  quali- 
ties imputed  to  some  of  the  products  by  the  advertising  real-estate 
promulgators,  fired  the  European  mind  and  prepared  settlers  for 
almost  any  materia  medica  surprise.  Witness,  even  in  the  days  so 
near  us  as  those  immediately  preceding  the  Revolution,  the  exaggera- 
tions concerning  the  Kentucky  land,  whose  story  was  so  graphically 
told  in  John  Filson's  "  History  of  Kentucky."  Witness  also  the 
marvellous  record  of  cinchona  {Jesuit  bark)  from  South  America, 
and  of  sassafras  from  "  the  Floridas."  Think  of  the  sensational 
introduction  into  Europe  of  tobacco,  and  the  new  foods,  Indian  corn 
and  the  potato.  Comprehending  all  this  and  such  as  this,  one  may 
be  in  a  position  to  realize  the  speculative  importance  to  a  half- 
clothed,  suffering,  needy,  transplanted  people,  on  the  fringe  of  an 
undeveloped  continent,  of  the  blessings  that  might  lie  within  an 
unknown  flora,  boundless  in  extent. 
That  was  a  day  of  heroics  in  therapy,  and  under  the  influence  of 
tradition  and  environment  substances  most  likely  to  gain  a  receptive 
hearing  were  such  as  strongly  appealed  to  the  senses  by  reason 
of  their  aromatic,  emetic,  cathartic,  or  other  energetic  qualities. 
Sassafras,  serpentaria,  senega,  podophyllum,  spigelia,  and  such, 
from  North  America,  ipecac  from  the  eastern  coast  of  South 
America,  cinchona  and  jalap  from  the  land  of  the  Incas,  and  such 
substances  as  hydrastis  and  sanguinaria,  used  by  the  Indians  as  pig- 
ments by  reason  of  the  fact  that  they  both  possessed  bright  colors 
and  their  juices  were  distasteful  to  pestering  insects,  may  thus  be 
cited. 
With  these  thoughts  in  mind,  let  us  now  refer  to  Barton's  "  Col- 
lections/' published  in  Philadelphia  in  1798.  Note  the  discreet  sen- 
tence in  the  Introduction,  indicating  the  fact  that  Dr.  Barton  com- 
prehended the  delicacy  of  his  position  as  concerns  both  the  people 
and  the  profession,  for  in  those  days,  as  already  indicated,  the  people 
were  deeply  interested  in  materia  medica  subjects  and  were  prepar- 
ing to  rebel  against  transplanted,  mediaeval  European  processes 
employed  by  the  regular  profession.  This  is  apprehended  by  Bar- 
ton, as  follows : 
The  readers  of  these  "  Collections  "  (for  everything  that  is  written  and 
published  solicits  some  readers)  will  form  different  opinions  about  my  med- 
ical faith.  Some  of  them  will  think  I  have  too  much;  and  others,  that  I 
have  not  enough. 
