Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1920. 
Medicinal  Plants  in  France. 
423 
committee,  standing  in  direct  communication  with  the  State,  with 
the  Universities  and  with  various  industrial  companies  and  syndi- 
cates, was  thus  constituted,  and  it  immediately  set  to  work.  Com- 
missions for  economic  studies  and  propaganda,  for  cultivation  and 
collection  and  for  the  cultivation  of  exotic  plants  were  formed. 
The  Commission  for  Economic  Studies  and  Propaganda  decided 
to  form  regional  committees  in  order  to  procure  without  delay 
local  information  and  to  arrange  between  collectors  and  consumers 
the  price  at  which  the  drugs  should  be  sold. 
The  Commission  for  Collection  and  Cultivation  busied  itself 
with  instructions  to  collectors,  with  the  provision  of  samples,  with 
pamphlets,  and  so  on.  The  value  of  special  drying  sheds  was  rec- 
ognized, but  as  rapidity  was  essential  it  was  decided  to  employ  the 
simple  methods  already  in  use.  The  representative  of  the  Ministry 
of  Public  Instruction  undertook  to  include  in  the  official  publications 
any  notes  or  articles  which  the  Committee  might  compile,  and  in- 
dicated his  intention  of  sending  to  the  provincial  schools  illustrated 
descriptive  leaflets  of  common  medicinal  plants,  together  with  the 
mode  of  collection,  etc.  The  journals  of  the  pharmaceutical  and 
agricultural  syndicates  were  also  utilized  for  this  purpose,  and  one 
number  of  La  Francaise  was  almost  entirely  devoted  to  the  subject. 
The  necessity  of  furnishing  all  indispensible  details  before  recom- 
mending the  cultivation  of  any  particular  plant  was  recognized  as 
was  also  the  danger  of  extermination  by  indiscriminate  collection. 
The  Commission  for  the  Cultivation  of  Exotic  Plants  had  to  deal 
with  a  most  extensive  programme,  as  France  has  to  procure  the 
majority  of  the  overseas  drugs  she  uses  from  foreign  countries. 
The  Committee  of  Medicinal  Plants  put  themselves  in  communica- 
tion with  the  Directors  of  Agriculture  in  the  French  Colonies  in  order 
to  obtain  technical  assistance.  Particular  attention  was  directed 
to  the  cultivation  of  senna  in  Morocco,  Guinea,  Dahomey  and 
Madagascar;  of  the  poppy  in  Morocco;  of  santonica;  of  buchu  in 
Northern  Africa;  of  Strophanthus  hispidus  and  5.  Kombe  in  Gaboon 
and  Dahomey;  and  of  cocoa  in  Dahomey.  Soils  of  proposed  sites 
for  cultivation  were  to  be  analyzed,  and  the  endeavor  made  to  secure 
special  facilities  for  artificial  manures.  The  Commission  also  dealt 
with  the  important  subject  of  cinchona.  The  mountains  of  Annam 
were  recommended  as  offering  favorable  conditions  of  soil  and  cli- 
mate, and  the  Governor-General  of  Annam  was  approached  on  the 
subject,  the  merchants  present  placing  6000  francs  a  year  at  the 
