Pharmacographia by Daniel Hanbury and Friedrich Flückiger is a monumental scientific survey of the principal drugs derived from the vegetable kingdom. The authors establish a comprehensive methodology that examines each substance through its botanical origin, historical introduction into medicine, microscopic structure, and chemical composition.
The work is structured around detailed monographs of plants, ranging from flowering dicotyledons to cryptogams, omitting therapeutics and pharmacy to focus strictly on identification, chemistry, and commerce. The authors trace the introduction of remedies from ancient Greek, Roman, and Arabian medical writers through the middle ages to modern times, citing authentic historical literature and primary sources.
Special attention is devoted to the chemical constituents of plants, such as alkaloids, essential oils, and active principles discovered by contemporary European chemists. The authors detail the exact methods of collection, geographical distribution, and the specific structural characteristics of roots, barks, seeds, and fruits.
Throughout the text, the authors address the problem of adulteration and substitution in the drug market, providing clear microscopic and chemical criteria to distinguish genuine remedies from inferior or related species. The work concludes with biographic and bibliographic notes on the authorities quoted, leaving a standard reference for botanical and pharmaceutical research.
