Flora Medica

how wretchedly inadequatein too manydiscovered in this country. Such a subject of investigationisby no means unimportant, when it is consideredcases is the remunerationof medical men, and how much the practitionerwould often be relieved, if his expenses could be diminishedby the substitution of domestic remedies, to be had for thetrouble of getting them, in place of exotic drugs whichare not only costly, but often so much adulterated as to beunfit for use. When we consider the quality of much ofthe Scammony, Sarsaparilla, Senna, and even Rhubarbthat are sold in the shops, it is surely not extravagant toexpect that they should often be advantageously rejectedfor some of the plants which grow almost at our doors.Our marshes are overrun with the Iris Pseudacorus, anactive purgative and emetic ; Ranunculus Flammulaanother common plant is described by Dr. Withering, theintroducer of Digitalisinto practice, as the best of allknown emetics; and the common Lilac, which, althoughnot a native, is to be found in every garden, has fruitwhich in its unripe state is singularly bitter, and yieldsan extract spoken of as a remarkably goodtonic andfebrifuge.were considerations of this kind which decidedTheythe author to include in his work all the plants whetherindigenous or exotic, and whether officinal or not, theproperties of which were sufficiently well attested to deserveparticular notice. Those plants have however beenomitted, whatever their reputation may have been, againstthe efficiency of which medical opinion has been distinctlyand generally expressed.Such exceptions as may be foundto this rule, have usually been made for purposes connectedwith the lecture-room, or for the sake of callingattention to plants whose properties seem to deservefurther investigation.It by no means follows that plants are inert becausemedical men have reported unfavourably of their action.The most powerful species have had their energy destroyedby unskilful preparation, or by not knowing at what season