he brought to the notice of the medical profession several medicinal plants in common use amongst the inhabitants of India. The advantages which Saharanpore possesses for the naturalization of plants of the colder regions induced him to try and cultivate the medicinal plants of other countries. He also contributed an excellent paper on the Bazar medicines to the Journal of the Bengal Asiatic Society.[1]
Mention should also be made to the labors of the Agri-Horticultural Society. The Society with its branches in different parts of India has rendered some help to the cause of indigenous drugs, as is evident by the Transactions of the Society.
Sir William O'Shaughuessy, who was the first Director of Telegraphs in India and occupied the chair of Chemistry at the Medical College, Calcutta, spent many years in investigating the subject of indigenous drugs. Several drugs were for the first time chemically analysed by him. Dr. Wallich, who was at that time in charge of the Calcutta Botanical Garden, rendered him much help in identifying the medicinal plants of India. The combined labors of O'Shaughnessy and Wallich have produced the valuable pharmacopoeia of Bengal, published under the authority of the Government of Bengal in 1844. No pains were spared by O'Shaughnessy to make use of the labors of his predecessors. The publication of this work gave a fresh stimulus to the study of in ligenous drugs. The subject even engaged the attention of chemists and pharmaceutists of Europe, and several drugs were admitted as officinal in the pharmacopoeias of other countries.
The holding of exhibitions has been the most important means in increasing our knowledge of indigenous drugs. I doubt if the amount of information which we possess at present about indigenous drugs could have been derived from any other source. The idea of exhibitions originated with the late Prince Albert, under whose auspices the first one was held in London in 1851. Dr. Royle was placed in charge of indigenous drugs, but I do not think the first exhibition, which was rather a trial, made
- ↑ This paper was published under the title "Articles of Materia Medica obtained in the Bazars of India," in the first volume of the Bengal Asiatic Society's Journal.
