240 
Annual  Address  of  President.      /Am  jour.  Pha™. 
'  May,  19 17. 
drugs,  and  in  some  instances  the  containers  in  which  they  were 
shipped  in  commerce.  There  is  also  included  chemical  constituents 
and  photographs  illustrating  the  plants  from  which  they  are  derived. 
The  Maisch  collection  has  been  removed  to  and  properly  arranged 
in  the  new  microscopical  laboratory,  while  for  want  of  space  many 
specimens  and  stock  of  unofficial  drugs  have  been  stored  in  the  old 
gymnasium.  Quite  a  little  progress  has  been  made  in  securing 
original  containers  and  steps  are  now  being  taken  to  make  this  col- 
lection a  representative  one.  It  would  be  a  most  difficult  task  to 
estimate  the  exact  number  of  specimens  in  pharmacognosy,  but 
roughly  estimated  there  is  probably  not  less  than  10,000  in  number. 
They  are  all  in  most  excellent  condition  and  are  constantly  increas- 
ing in  value  both  for  illustrative  purposes  and  for  comparison  and 
research. 
The  Martindale  and  other  herbariums,  containing  nearly  200,000 
specimens,  have  been  largely  used  during  the  past  year,  not  only  by 
your  department  of  pharmacognosy,  but  by  scientific  workers  from 
other  institutions  who  have  repeatedly  sought  the  privilege  of 
examining  these  most  interesting  specimens. 
The  cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  in  your  roof  hothouse  has 
had  much  attention,  and  while  the  facilities  are  very  meager,  material 
results  have  been  obtained.  The  hothouse  has  enabled  your  depart- 
ment to  conserve  specimens  which  have  been  sent  to  the  college  and 
the  facilities  thus  afforded  have  added  much  to  the  interest  of 
visitors  and  students  in  facilitating  the  recognition  by  them  of  the 
growing  specimens. 
During  the  past  year  many  specimens  have  been  forwarded  to 
your  institution  by  graduates  of  your  college,  living  in  different  parts 
of  the  United  States,  asking  that  the  specimens  be  identified  and 
every  assistance  has  been  rendered  to  help  them  in  the  identification 
of  the  specimens  submitted. 
It  may  be  of  interest  for  you  to  know  that  a  large  number  of 
lantern  slides  have  been  made  and  many  of  them-  colored,  showing 
the  living  plant,  the  microscopic  structure,  diagnostic  characters  and 
color  reactions.  It  is  now  possible  for  your  department  to  throw 
upon  a  screen  a  picture  of  the  crude  drug,  as  seen  at  close  range, 
and  illustrate  every  stage  of  the  examination  by  the  microscope  and 
use  of  reagents.  This  adds  greatly  to  the  educational  value  of  the 
work  and  tends  not  only  to  illuminate  the  subject  and  increase  the 
didactic  efficiency,  but  makes  it  possible  to  illustrate  the  material 
