to the subject. They were not slow in recognising the importance of the study of indigenous drugs. There were other laborers also in the field. Dr. Waring, who edited the Indian Pharmacopoeia so creditably, was one of the most painstaking and careful observers of the properties and uses of indigenous drugs. His attention was drawn to the subject when serving out in Burma. The stock of his European medicines having been exhausted, he was in great perplexity and hardly knew what to do. In such a crisis, he turned to the medicinal plants of the country. His extensive knowledge of Botany stood him in good stead greatly. He found indigenous drugs to answer his purposes as satisfactorily as the costly imported medicines of Europe. The series of papers under the title, " Notes on some of the principal Indigenous Tonics, Anthelmintics, &c, of India," published in the early volumes of the "Indian Annals of Medical Science," now defunct, shows the careful and painstaking manner in which he had studied the subject.
The use of the Pharmacopoeia as a text book in the colleges and schools of this country, has also been productive of some good. The Pharmacopoeia Committee was not wrong in imparting an educational character to their publication. The native remedies having been rendered familiar during the period of studentship, have been often made use of by Indian Medical Graduates.
Mention should also be made of the establishment of the Forest Department and the School of Forestry in this country as helping in increasing our knowledge of indigenous drugs. The forest officers have brought to light several plants used medicinally by the natives of this country. The late Dr. Stewart in his Punjab Plants, mentioned a large number of medicinal plants used by the rustics and villagers of the Panjab. Mr. Gamble and other forest officers have also noticed the medicinal plants of other parts of India. The increase in our knowledge of the properties and uses of the indigenous drugs by these means has not been inconsiderable.
The Calcutta International Exhibition of 1883-84 has done much towards the study of indigenous drugs. Credit is due to
