PHARMACOGRAPHIA, the word which gives the title to this book, indicates
the nature of the work to which it has been prefixed. The term means
simply a _writing about drugs_; and it has been selected not without
due consideration, as in itself distinctive, easily quoted, and
intelligible in many languages.
Pharmacographia, in its widest sense, embodies and expresses the joint
intention of the authors. It was their desire, not only to write
upon the general subject, and to utilize the thoughts of others; but
that the book which they decided to produce together should contain
observations that no one else had written down. It is in fact a
record of personal researches on the principal drugs derived from the
vegetable kingdom, together with such results of an important character
as have been obtained by the numerous workers on Materia Medica in
Europe, India, and America.
Unlike most of their predecessors in Great Britain during this century,
the authors have not included in their programme either Pharmacy or
Therapeutics; nor have they attempted to give their work that diversity
of scope which would render it independent of collateral publications
on Botany and Chemistry.
While thus restricting the field of their inquiry, the authors have
endeavoured to discuss with fuller detail many points of interest which
are embraced in the special studies of the pharmacist; and at the
same time have occasionally indicated the direction in which further
investigations are desirable. A few remarks on the heads under which
each particular article is treated, will explain more precisely their
design.
The drugs included in the present work are chiefly those which are
commonly kept in store by pharmacists, or are known in the drug and
spice market of London. The work likewise contains a small number which
belong to the _Pharmacopœia of India_: the appearance of this volume
seemed to present a favourable opportunity for giving some more copious
notice of the latter than has hitherto been attempted.
Supplementary to these two groups must be placed a few substances which
possess little more than historical interest, and have been introduced
rather in obedience to custom, and for the sake of completeness, than
on account of their intrinsic value.
Each drug is headed by the Latin name, followed by such few synonyms as
may suffice for perfect identification, together in most cases with the
English, French, and German designation.
In the next section, the _Botanical Origin_ of the substance is
discussed, and the area of its growth, or locality of its production is
stated. Except in a few instances, no attempt has been made to furnish
botanical descriptions of the plants to which reference is made. Such
information may readily be obtained from original and special sources,
of which we have quoted some of the most important.
Under the head of _History_, the authors have endeavoured to trace the
introduction of each substance into medicine, and to bring forward
other points in connection therewith, which have not hitherto been
much noticed in any recent work. This has involved researches which
have been carried on for several years, and has necessitated the
consultation of many works of general literature. The exact titles
of these works have been scrupulously preserved, in order to enable
the reader to verify the statements made, and to prosecute further
historical inquiries. In this portion of their task, the authors have
to acknowledge the assistance kindly given them by Professors Heyd[1]
of Stuttgart, Winkelmann of Heidelberg, Monier Williams of Oxford,
Dümichen of Strassburg; and on subjects connected with China, by Mr. A.
Wylie and Dr. Bretschneider. The co-operation in various directions of
many other friends has been acknowledged in the text itself.
[1] The admirable work of this author—_Geschichte des Levantehandels im
Mittelalter_, 2 vols., Stuttgart, 1879—appeared when the second edition
of our Pharmacographia was already in the press.
In some instances the _Formation_, _Secretion_, or _Method of
Collection_ of a drug, has been next detailed: in others, the section
_History_ has been immediately followed by the _Description_, succeeded
by one in which the more salient features of _Microscopic Structure_
have been set forth. The authors have not thought it desirable to
amplify the last named section, as the subject deserves to be treated
in a special work, and to be illustrated by engravings. Written
descriptions of microscopic structure are tedious and uninteresting,
and however carefully drawn up, must often fail to convey the true
meaning which would be easily made evident by the pencil. The reader
who wishes for illustrations of the minute structure of drugs may
consult the works named in the footnote.[2]
The next division includes the important subject of _Chemical
Composition_, in which the authors have striven to point out to the
reader familiar with chemistry what are the constituents of greatest
interest in each particular drug—what the characters of the less
common of those constituents—and by whom and at what date the chief
investigations have been made. A knowledge of the name and date
provides a clue to the original memoir, which may usually be found,
either _in extenso_ or in abstract, in more than one periodical.
It has been no part of the authors’ plan to supersede reference to
standard works on chemistry, or to describe the chemical character of
substances[3] which may be easily ascertained from those sources of
information which should be within the reach of every pharmaceutical
inquirer.
In the section devoted to _Production and Commerce_, the authors
have given such statistics and other trade information as they could
obtain from reliable sources; but they regret that this section is
of very unequal value. Duties have been abolished, and a general and
continuous simplification of tariffs and trade regulations has ensued.
The details, therefore, that used to be observed regarding the commerce
in drugs, exists no longer in anything like their former state of
completeness: hence the fragmentary nature of much of the information
recorded under this head.
The medicinal uses of each particular drug are only slightly mentioned,
it being felt that the science of therapeutics lies within the province
of the physician, and may be wisely relinquished to his care. At the
same time it may be remarked that the authors would have rejoiced had
they been able to give more definite information as to the technical or
economic uses of some of the substances they have described.
[2] Berg, _Anatomischer Atlas zur pharmazeutischen Waarenkunde_,
Berlin, 1865. 4to., with 50 plates.
Flückiger, _Grundlagen der pharmaceutischen Waarenkunde, Einleitung in
das Studium der Pharmacognosie_, Berlin, 1873.
Planchon, _Traité pratique de la détermination des drogues simples
d’origine végétale_, Paris, 1874.
Luerssen, _Medicinisch-Pharmaceutische Botanik_, Leipzig (in progress).
[3] For further information, see Flückiger, _Pharmaceutische Chemie_,
Berlin, 1879.
What has been written under the head of _Adulteration_ is chiefly
the result of actual observation, or might otherwise have been much
extended. The authors would rather rely on the characters laid down in
preceding sections than upon empirical methods for the determination
of purity. The heading of _Substitutes_ has been adopted for certain
drugs, more or less related to those described in special articles, yet
not actually used by way of adulteration.
A work professing to bring together the latest researches in any
subject will naturally be thought to contain needless innovations.
Whilst deprecating the inconvenience of changes of nomenclature, the
authors have had no alternative but to adopt the views sanctioned by
the leaders of chemical and botanical science, and which the progress
of knowledge has required. The common designations of drugs may indeed
remain unchanged:—hellebore, aconite, colchicum, anise, and caraway,
need no modernizing touch. But when we attempt to combine with these
simple names, words to indicate the organ of the plant of which they
are constituted, questions arise as to the strict application of such
terms as root, rhizome, tuber, corm, about which a diversity of opinion
may be entertained.
It has been the authors’ aim to investigate anew the field of Vegetable
Materia Medica, in order as far as possible to clear up doubtful
points, and to remove some at least of the uncertainties by which the
subject is surrounded. In furtherance of this plan they have availed
themselves of the resources offered by Ancient and Modern History; nor
have they hesitated to lay under contribution either the teaching of
men eminent in science, or the labours of those who follow the paths of
general literature. How far they have accomplished their desire remains
for the public to decide.