Science papers : chiefly pharmacological and botanical / by Daniel Hanbury; edited, with a memoir, by Joseph Ince.

  • Hanbury, Daniel, 1825-1875.
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Science papers : chiefly pharmacological and botanical / by Daniel Hanbury; edited, with a memoir, by Joseph Ince. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    CHINESE NOTES-BALSAM OF PERU. 1875. Chinese Materia Medica, Cortex Winteranus. Balsam of Peru. extensive acquaintance witli the literature of Eastern Asia having reference to the subject, and with the Chinese flora. Both are observable in a high degree in Mr. Hanbury's Chinese Materia Medica, although the neatly-bound separate impression which appeared in 1862 only contains 48 octavo pages. Dr. Theodore Martins (died 15th September, 1863), the most distinguished German student, at that time, in the same branch of science, and a personal friend of the author's, gave a trans- lation of the work, though without the illustrations of the original {Contributions to Chinese Materia'Medica, Speier, 1863). Regard should be had to these researches whenever there is a question of Chinese Materia Medica. The drug brought by Captain Winter from the Straits of Magellan, and described as Winter's bark by Clusius in 1605, became confounded by degrees in a remarkable way with other barks. On this subject again Mr. Hanbury threw light with a sure hand, in 1862 in a paper ^ which will remain liistorically valuable even when Winter's bark has fallen still more into oblivion than now. Pereira occupied himself in 1850 in searching out the origin of balsam of Peru ; it was reserved for Mr. Hanbuiy, who devoted his attention to this interesting subject in 1863 and 1864, to bring it to a conclusion, with the assistance of Dr. Dorat, a resident on the Central American balsam coast itself. Mr. Hanbury's papers on this subject, which have long since be- come the common property of the literature of this department of science, follow as working side-pieces to that upon storax. As on the occasion of writing the latter, he acquired some knowledge of the Turkish language, so, being occupied with the literature concerning balsam of Peru, he felt the same obliga- tion laid upon him with regard to the Spanish tongue. His well furnished study contains in rank and file the Spanish authors since the conquest of Peru, in whose works information concerning the balsam and other drugs is to be found. In 1864 the origin of gamboge was successfully established; 1865 Savanilla rhatany was traced back to Kramcria ' J'harmacographici, 17. m