Preface.

Drugs and Medicines of North America, 1884-1887, was published in quarterly fascicles. These were printed in small editions and distributed only to subscribers.

In the words of the authors the work was "devoted to the historical and scientific discussion of the botany, pharmacy, chemistry and therapeutics of the medicinal plants of North America, their constituents, products and sophistications." Ambitious as this program appears, it was carried out with remarkable thoroughness. Certainly the authors were fortunately situated for their undertaking. The interests and vocation of the senior author pertained entirely to the pharmaceutical and chemical study and manipulation of vegetable drugs, while from childhood the junior author devoted his time and thought to the study of botany. The publication not only contained almost the sum total of published knowledge available at the time it was written, but also contributed a large amount of original work, especially on the pharmacy and chemistry of the plants discussed.

Due perhaps to the manner in which it was originally distributed as well as to the small edition published, Drugs and Medicines of North America is now unavailable to most workers. For this reason it is reprinted as a bulletin of the Lloyd Library.

In printing the present bulletin most of the original plates were employed, though some have become damaged during the years since they were first used. A few plates were lost and a few mutilated beyond the possibility of use. In every possible case the present reprint is made from the original plates, though in some the type or figures show damage. The few lost or unusable plates are reproduced by photographic process from the copy of Drugs and Medicines on our shelves.

THE LLOYD LIBRARY.

Drugs and Medicines of North America, 1884-1887, was written by John Uri Lloyd and Curtis G. Lloyd.