Publisher's Synopsis
From the Preface:
THE original work of Mr. Hermann Peters was a pioneer pathbreaker in even the prolific German historical field. It was an outgrowth of Mr. Peters' studies in the Germanic Museum at Nuremburg, and was pervaded by zeal for the reputation of 0the old city. This gave the style of the work a quaint fascination, which greatly increased its value in Germany, where intense interest is felt concerning Nuremburg, where so much of Germany's art, science, mechanical art and literature were fostered. The prominence of this quaint Nuremburgian patriotism in the work, while not without its charm, was a serious limitation and defect in a work intended for an English-speaking public.
The revision has therefore introduced many features of especial interest to English-speaking pharmacists and physicians, while retaining for the most part the style, arrangement and illustrations of the original.
The development of Pharmacy as a specialty of Medicine has been more carefully discussed in the light of researches not pursued by Mr. Peters. The original chapter on "Pharmacy in the Middle Ages" has been rewritten from the standpoint of the researches of Gordon, Baas, Hallam and Meryon. The chapter on "Ancient Pharmacopoeias" and that on the "Development and Decline of Alchemy" have been considerably amplified, the former being supplemented by the results of the researches of Dr. Charles Rice, of New York, and other authorities.
