As^pteXrPi9iT'}       Cultivation  of  Medicinal  Plants.  421 
THE  CULTIVATION JDF  MEDICINAL  PLANTS.1 
By  Dr.  Fred.  B.  Kilmer,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 
{Continued  from  page  359.) 
Botanic  Gardens. 
A  review  of  the  World's  Botanic  Gardens,  by  Prof.  Albert 
Schneider  (Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,  January,  1904,  1-30),  points  out 
the  significance  and  value  of  such  gardens  to  the  progress  of  phar- 
macy and  medicine. 
From  this  review  we  learn  of  the  mythical  gardens  of  antiquity 
and  tradition,  including  the  Garden  of  Paradise  and  the  Royal 
Gardens  of  Egypt  and  Rome.  From  this  article  it  appears  that  as 
early  as  1545  medicinal  herbs  were  cultivated  in  the  Italian  gardens 
at  Padua.  The  "  Jardin  des  Plants  "  of  Paris,  founded  in  1610, 
added  millions  of  dollars  to  the  wealth  of  the  French  nation.  The 
"  Jardin  Botanique  de  la  Faculty  la  Medicine,"  which  is  a  part  of 
this  garden,  is  the  largest  and  most  complete  garden  of  medicinal 
plants  in  the  world. 
France,  England,  Germany,  Austria,  Italy,  Holland,  Russia  and 
the  United  States  have  extensive  botanic  gardens  in  which,  to  some 
extent,  medicinal  plants  are  cultivated.  The  list  of  botanic  gardens 
in  the  United  States  is  given  as  follows  :  New  York  Botanic  Gardens  ; 
Shaw  Botanic  Gardens,  St.  Louis ;  Philadelphia  Botanic  Gardens ; 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich. ;  Indiana  State  University ;  San  Francisco,  Cali- 
fornia. 
Prof.  Schneider  suggests  a  co-operative  agreement  among  the 
authorities  of  these  different  gardens  as  to  the  scope  of  the  work  done 
by  each. 
So  far  the  American  Botanic  Gardens  have  done  but  little  in  the 
way  of  cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  that  can  be  considered  as  of 
economic  value.  Their  work  in  general  is  limited  to  other  problems. 
The  resources  of  these  gardens  could  be  made  of  great  value  for  the 
furtherance  of  this  work.  To  bring  it  about  would  require  requisite 
funds  and  intelligent  direction. 
xRead  before  the  National  Association  of  Manufacturers  of  Medicina 
Products,  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel,  New  York  City,  February  8,  19 15. 
