Page:Thirty-five years in the East.djvu/27

 INTRODUCTION. xvil entered the Temple of Wisdom, teaches us, plainly, that the sages of antiquity were well aware of the importance of this study. It often happens, that he who has even but a slight knowledge of medicine, and understands the peculiarities of his own con- stitution, is able, by the timely application of a suitable remedy, entirely to remove, or lessen, any illness with which he may be attacked. English physicians residing in the East, and more especially those in the Punjab, may derive great ad- vantage from the Flora Mcdica Cashmereana. I should recommend them to apply to the Secretary of the Medical Club at Lahore, that he may send them^ annually, £ small but fresh supply of herbs, and to use them according to the System I lay down in this work. It would, indeed, be desirable for physicians who intend to establish themselves in any country, to make themselves acquainted with the productions of the locality, and to try the qualities of indi- genous plants on healthy as well as on diseased in- dividuals, that they may be able to use them ad- vantageously. Such a course would not only render the physician independent of the supplies of medi- cines from foreign countries, and furnish him with remedial agents on the qualities of which he could depend, but he v/ould, at the same time, be render- ing a service to mankind, by the occasional dis- coveries with which he might enrich medical science. It was thus, that I discovered the healing properties of nearly all the plants which are mentioned in my Materia Medica, in the second volume. If this advice were generally acted upon, a considerable saving would be ensured to the