PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR.

AT the time when Dr. WITTSTEIN'S "Anleitung zur chemischen Analyse von Pflanzentheilen auf ihre organischen Bestandtheile" made its appearance, I was honoured by its distinguished author, whose friendship I have enjoyed for many years, by bringing this important work under my notice. Recognising its value in my own laboratory, I became eager to render it accessible also to chemical workers in the great British Empire, as well as in the North American States, through an English version. The consent for a translation was granted with equal liberality and disinterestedness both by the author and Mr. C. H. BECK, of Noerdlingen, the publisher of the work. Circumstances, over which I could exercise no control, and such as not readily occur except in the earlier phases of a young colony, have retarded, to my deep regret, for a series of years the issue of this translation, though the manuscripts were mostly prepared long ago; thus I redeem but late the obligation so far devolving on me, and this to the disadvantage of the author. I feel great pleasure in acknowledging the co-operation of Mr. L. RUMMEL, who for some years conducted many phyto-chemic and technic operations in my laboratory, in aiding me throughout in the work of translation, and also in its revision, while it was passing through the press. Thus I effected a large saving of my time, heavily taxed already by multifarious professional, departmental and special literary duties, and often even sacrificed in defending the dignity of a scientific position, or sustaining my means for further progressive researches. These circumstances may also plead excuse, should I not have realised the expectations, raised in

reference to this translation by the meritorious author or by the Pharmaceutic Society of Victoria, which more particularly through its President, Jos. BOSISTO, Esq., M.P., and its Hon. Secretary, C. R. BLACKETT, Esq., promoted the issue of this English edition. The delay, which arose in the publication, has had however one advantage; it is this, that I was enabled to supplement the original work with many additional notes on new and well authenticated phyto-chemic data, which transpired during the last few years, some claiming local originality here. These additions, for which I myself must take the responsibility, are distinguished by the marks of parenthesis, and have met with Dr. WITTSTEIN'S approbation. The "Zeitschrift des allgemeinen æsterreichischen Apotheker-Vereins" was one of the main-sources of the additional data, obtained for this translation. Moreover, in one respect I have effected alterations in the original, for which the author's concession was also obtained; they consist in my re-writing the two chapters on the systematic names and arrangement of all the plants, to chemical substances of which allusion is made in the work. Researches on extended material, even since Professor WITTSTEIN issued his volume, have not only modified in many cases the systematic limits of the orders, genera and species of these plants, but have also shed light on the origin of many medicinal and other vegetable substances, coming within the scope of this work, and formerly more or less involved in obscurity. Furthermore, I have preferred in the enumerative chapter of plants a systematic arrangement to an alphabetic sequence, and for this I have adopted the Candollean (or reversed Jussieuan) system, with such a change, as enabled me to distribute the monochlamydeous orders (Coniferæ and Cycadeæ excepted) among the other dicotyledonous ordinal groups, according to their greatest mutual affinities. The atomic formulas have been left unaltered, as given in the original; but a tabular exposition is appended, demonstrating the symbols of molecules according to the modern doctrine, adopted in most of the recent chemical works. Added are also as new for convenience tabular comparisons of English with metric weights and measures; furthermore, comparative tables of

Celsius' and Fahrenheit's thermometers, and finally calculations of the specific gravity of alcohol, according to the degrees of its dilution.

The translation is effected not without a certain freedom, extended even to the etymologic construction of the chemical appellations; yet I have endeavoured to adhere to the original text, so far as the different idioms of the two languages permitted. If I have failed in fusing the translation into the best expressions and forms, then I may frankly concede, that unless under remarkable circumstances of exception we never will be able to wield fully a language, which has not been that of our youth. If, after much toil and expenditure (the print of this translation being effected at my own private expense), I could wish, to reap any reward for my aid in diffusing the knowledge of methods, adopted by a leading masterly operator in phyto-chemistry, it would be, that local observers in these southern colonies, as well as in any other countries, teeming with an almost endless number of yet novel objects for phyto-chemic inquiry for additional resources, may be armed with auxiliary means for extending not only in abstract the science of chemistry, but also the precincts of therapeutics, and the realms of technology in reference to vegetable products.

MELBOURNE, May, 1878.

PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR.

WITH the exception of a work* published ten years ago, literature has as yet been wholly unrepresented by a manual of phyto-chemic analysis. For this reason alone the above work met with a very favourable reception, which moreover was doubtless enhanced by the name of the author, who had for a long time been engaged in researches of that particular direction. My expectations on receiving it were great. But although I found a considerable treasure of experiences deposited therein, I had soon to arrive at the conclusion, that the course recommended by the author renders the performance of a phyto-chemical analysis an extremely tiresome and slow process, and one requiring a large share of patience; consequently, instead of animating to attempt analyses of such kind, it rather deters therefrom. Besides, the course of the analysis indicated therein did not meet with my approval.

I decided therefore, not being inexperienced myself in these kinds of operations, to publish the method, which I have followed for many years, and which after numerous repetitions and corrections has been proved most practical, since it is considerably shorter than any other, and, I venture to say, is not less accurate. By this I will not assume, that my work is not capable of improvement; indeed, I myself am striving for that incessantly still, and shall gladly acknowledge any aid from anyone, who may pursue the same objects.

*“ Anleitung zur Analyse von Pflanzen und Pflanzentheilen,” von Friedr. Rochleder, Wuerzburg.