PREFACE. MEDICINAL AND USEFUL PLANTS AND TEEES 01 THE CONFEDERATE STATES — INDIGENOUS AND INTRODUCED. The following paper is prepared by direction of the Surgeon General, for which purpose the author was released tempora rily from service in the field and hospital. It is intended as a repertory of scientific and popular knowl edge as regards the medicinal, economical, and useful propertiei of the trees, plants, and shrubs found within the limits of th< Confederate States, whether employed in the arts, for manufac turing purposes, or in domestic economy, to supply a present ai well as a future want. Treating specially of our medicina plants and of the best substitutes for foreign articles of vegeta ble origin, my aim has been to spare no exertions, compatibh with the limits assigned me, to make it applicable as well t( the requirements of the Surgeon as of the Planter and Farmer and I trust that after the war shall have ceased there wil still be no diminution in the desire of every one to possess i source from whence his curiosity may be satisfied on mattert pertaining to our useful plants. The Regimental Surgeon ir the field, the Physician in his private practice, or the Planter or his estate may themselves collect and apply these substances within their reach, which are frequently quite as valuable as others obtained from abroad, and either impossible to be pro cured or scarce and costly. But information scattered through a variety of sources must needs be first collected to be available in any practical point of view. I have, therefore, inserted whatever I thought would throw light upon the vegetable productions of the Confederate States

IV PREFACE. to enable every one to use the ample material within his rea ^. I have searched through the various catalogues and systematic works on botany, and noticed in almost every instance the habitat and precise locality of plants, that each one may be apprised of the proximity of valuable species. Catalogues of the trees and plants growing in special localities thus become of great service, as they indicate precisely where valuable species may be procured. Those interested may obtain the localities of many plants found in the Confederate States by consulting Elliott's Botany, Darby's, and the recent work by Chapman, of Florida, " The Flora of the Southern United States." Among the catalogues issued at the South are one by Dr. Jno. Bachman of "Plants growing in the vicinity of Charleston," published in the Southern Agriculturist; one by Prof. Louis E. Gibbes of those found in Eichland district, S. C; "Plants found in the vicinity of Newbern, K C," by H. B. Croom; an unfinished paper, by W Wragg Smith, Esq., published in the Transactions of the Elliott Society of Charleston; and "A Medico-Botanical Catalogue of the Plants of St. John's, Berkley, S. C.," by the writer. Also my "Sketch of the Medical Botany of South Carolina," published in the Transactions of the Am. Med Association, vol. ii, 1849, and " Kesources of the Southern Fields and Forests," De Bow's Eeview, August, 1861. The extensive collection in the Charleston Museum by my friend, Mr. Ii. W. Eavenel, as well as the several publications of himself and Mr. M. A. Curtis, of Hillsborough, ]ST. C, might also be consulted with profit. I have availed myself of Dr. Chapman's work in ascertaining the names of plants added by botanists since the time of Walter and Elliott, and not contained in the catalogues referred to. The plants have been arranged after the Natural system, adopting for the most part the views of Lindley The reference to information contained in books* serves the purpose of showing those interested in any production or manufacture where fuller details, which are too long to insert can be procured. It will be seen from inspecting the list of author*I take this occasion to express my indebtedness to Col. J. B. Moore, of State burg, S. C, for the use of a valuable library of agricultural and chemical book a,nd for many facilities afforded me in the prosecution of this work; also, to Prof' L. K. Gribbes, for the loan of the catalogues in bis possession.