MINUTES  OP  THE  COLLEGE. 
573 
generally  noticed  in  the  wild  state  in  our  section  :  Hesperis  matronalis, 
Lin.,  Hibiscus  Syriacus,  Lin.,  Philadelphus  inodorus,  Lin.,  Fedia  alitaria, 
Vahl.,  Helianthus  tuberosus,  Lin.,  Ligustrum  vulgare,  Lin.,  Convallaria 
majalis,  Lin.,  and  Tradescantia  Yirginica,  Lin.  We  have  likewise  made  the 
attempt  of  naturalizing  several  foreign  medicinal  plants  in  the  woods  and 
meadows  near  Philadelphia,  and  may  perhaps  report  on  them  in  a  few 
years.  It  would  be  desirable  for  the  committee  to  have  some  fresh  seeds 
at  their  disposal,  as  we  have  had  applications  from  other  localities  for 
such,  and  we  conceive  the  naturalization  to  our  soil  of  useful  plants,  an  un- 
dertaking well  worthy  the  efforts  and  the  influence  of  the  College,  whose 
attention  deserves  likewise  to  be  directed  to  such  of  our  indigenous  plants 
as  manifestly  decrease  in  number.  We  may  instance,  Polygala  senega, 
Lin.,  which  notoriously  becomes  scarcer  every  year,  and  we  believe,  is  now 
not  to  be  found  in  our  neighborhood.  The  eradication  of  such  valuable 
medicinal  plants,  is,  of  course,  not  countenanced  by  intelligent  pharma- 
ceutists ;  it  is,  perhaps,  chiefly  to  be  attributed  to  collecting  the  roots  at 
improper  seasons,  and  we  have,  therefore,  a  remedy  against  it,  insuffici- 
ent though  it  may  be,  by  refusing  all  roots  not  gathered  in  proper  time 
But  while  it  will  be  judicious  to  attempt  a  propagation,  not  a  culture  (-f 
this  and  similar  plants,  it  would  probably  be  advisable  to  keep  an  eye  on 
substitutes.  In  this  connection,  we  would  direct  attention  to  the  fact  that 
Saponaria  officinalis,  Lin.,  has  been  completely  naturalized  in  our  soil,  and 
grows  very  frequently  in  some  places  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  so 
frequent  indeed,  that  here  and  there  it  may  be  regarded  as  an  obnoxious 
weed.  Could  not  this  plant,  which  contains  saponine,  a  principle  analogous 
to  the  polygalic  acid  of  senega,  furnish  a  partial  substitute  for  the  latter? 
Yeratrum  viride.  Ait.,  has  within  a  few  years  past  gained  considerable 
reputation  for  its  valuable  medicinal  properties.  The  plant  is  scarce  in 
our  neighborhood ;  indeed  we  know  of  but  a  single  place  where  about  a 
dozen  specimens  flourish.  It  would  be  but  half  an  hour's  work  to  ex- 
terminate it  there  ;  is  it,  however,  not  more  consistent  to  transplant  it  to 
other  places  where  it  would  be  likely  to  increase  ? 
We  believe  that  the  attention  of  the  intelligent  pharmaceutist  need  be 
but  directed  to  such  cases,  to  instigate  him  to  experiments  with  the 
view  of  increasing  the  supply  of  certain  plants  without  resorting  to  cul- 
tivation. 
We  have  had  a  fair  prospect  of  receiving  exchanges  from  various  sec- 
tions of  our  country  but  the  political  aff'airs  have  operated  against  such 
an  intercourse.  Still  we  are  pleased  to  announce  that  we  have  received 
a  small  instalmentfof  plants,  from  Mr.  Charles  A.  Heinitsch,  of  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  with  the  offer  of  sending  more  during  the  Fall  ;  as  yet  we  have  not 
made  any  returns  for  these  contributions. 
A  few  weeks  ago,  we  sent  collections  of  plants,  all  gathered  this  year, 
to  Dr.  A.  Fliickiger  in  Bern,  Professor  G.  Theobald,  in  Chur,  and  to 
Professor  A.  Buchner,  in  Munich.  At  the  request  of  Dr.  Fliickiger,  we 
applied  to  Professor  Jos.  Henry,  to  have  them  transmitted  through  the 
Smithsonian  Institution.  They  have  confined  their  transmissions  to 
books,  however,  because  the  addition  of  specimens  of  natural  history  to 
the  invoice,  would  complicate,  very  much,  the  passage  of  the  boxes  through 
the  Custom  Houses  abroad.  No  other  good  opportunity  offering,  we 
sent  these  three  packages  through  Messrs.  Schafer  and  Koradi,  of  this 
city ;  but  have  omitted  to  enclose  any  specimens  of  drugs,  &c.,  promis- 
ing to  Dr.  Fliickiger,  to  enclose  them  next  spring,  when  we  should  be  able 
to  send  a  more  extensive  selection  from  the  College  Herbarium.  It  is 
desirable  that  the  members  of  the  College  should  contribute  some  of  our 
American  drugs,  which  the  committee  have  not  been  able  to  collect, 
