August r, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



177 



SELECTIONS FROM THE NON-OFFICIAL FOR- 

 MULARY OF THE DUTCH SOCIETY FOR 



THE ADVANCEMENT OF PHARMACY'. 

 ExTRACTUM Cinchona (De Vrij) (Liqidd Extract of 

 Cinchona ). 



Red cinchona (bark of stem of Cinch, sued- 

 rubra, grovra iu Java or India, aud 

 containing at least 6 per cent of alkaloids), 



in fine powder 100 



Normal hydrochloric acid (volumetric stand- 

 ard) 38 



Glycerin 20 



Water 362 



Macerate the cinchona with the acid and water 

 for twelve hours, occasionally sth'ring. Whenever the 

 foam has disappeared add the glycerm and transfer 

 the whole to a percolator, the orifice of which is closed 

 with a linen plug. When the liquid runs off clear 

 continue the percolation with water until the liquid 

 is no longer precipitated by solution of soda, and 

 evaporate the percolate on the water-bath until it 

 amounts to 100 parts. 



The extract is clear, bright yellow, and yields a 

 clear solution with water. 10 parts of the extract, 

 mixed with a solution of 1 part of acetate of sodium 

 or potassium in 6 parts of water, yield a copious, light 

 flesh-coloured precipitate of kinotaimate of quiuetum. 

 The quantity of this precipitate, when collected on a 

 filter, washed with a little water and dried on the 

 water-bath in a tared capsule, should amount to 0'7 

 parts. AVheu mixed with a large quantity of strong 

 alcohol the exti'act becomes very turbid aud deposits 

 a viscid, colourless calcium salt. If this is not tlie 

 case too much acid has been used in its preparation. 

 ExTRACTOM CiNCHON.E SpissuM (De Vrij) (Inspissated 

 Extract of Cinchona.) 



Evaporate tlie liquid extract of "cinchona on the 

 water-bath until the weight does not diminish any 

 more sensibly. 100 parts of the liquid yield about 

 57 parts of the inspissated extract. 



It is of the consistence of thick honey, yellowish-red, 

 and yields a clear solution with water in all propor- 

 tions. — New Remedies. 



THE INDLAN CINCHONA FEBRIFUGE. 



On several occasions we have referred to reports as 

 to the results following tlie administration of the 

 alkaloidal mixture prepared in India from red bark, 

 and which is now used largely in India under the 

 name of "cinchona febrifuge." For although success 

 in the attempt to proWde a cheap and eftective sub- 

 stitute for quhiine sulphate would prove a vast boon 

 to suffering multitudes in our Eastern possessions, its 

 effects would not be limited to them, but would extend 

 to other parts of the world. A communication to the 

 Medical Times and Gazette, of March IS, from Dr. 

 Ja,mes Irvmg, formerly Surgeon-General in the Bengal 

 Army, enables us to quote a few details which will 

 supplement those already published. 



Dr. Irving states that the " febrifuge " is now ex- 

 tensively used in Bengal and Bombay, and that during 

 the year 1880-81 as much as 9,'296 lb. were manufactured, 

 according to Mr. Wood's process, at a cost of ratiicr 

 less than 18.'-'. 6(/. per lb. Oddly enough, however, 

 it does not seem to gain much favour in Maxlras, 

 although the preparation formerly made by Jlr. Brough- 

 ton was in repute there. Dr. Irving says, too, that 

 when the preparation was first issued for use in Bengal, 

 and probably also in Bombay, there was undoubtedly 

 a strong prejudice on the part of medical officers 

 against it, owing to its disagi-eeable taste and smell, 

 but chiefly to its tendency in some cases to produce 

 nausea and even vomiting, as well as an uncomfort- 

 23 



able feeling of griping, which were attributed to tlio 

 presence of amorphous alkaloid. 



Recently an abstract has appeared of a series of 

 reports of the medical officers in the North-West 

 Brovinces and Oudh, where the febrifuge has been 

 tried for a year iu gaols, police hospitals aud dis- 

 pensaries, alternate cases being treated with quinine. 

 All the reports testify that the preparation is of un- 

 doubted therapeutic value in the treatment of ordinary 

 malarious fever, and is an excellent tonic in small 

 doses ; but the most of them indicate that it is in- 

 ferior to quinine in every respect and not trustwortliy 

 iu the treatment of severe cases of intermittent or 

 remittent fevers. Disagreeable gastric symptoms are 

 said to occur in about oae-thh-d of the cases in which 

 it is admiiiistei-ed, but a combination of sedatives and 

 aromatics has been found to obviate these symptoms. 



Dr. Ii-ving concludes by saying that there is no 

 denying that disagreeable effects not very unconunouly 

 follow the use of this remedy, aud that although some 

 medical officers have spoken favourably of it, they are 

 generally opposed to the use of the febrifuge for European 

 soldiers. He therefore thinks it very desii-able that, 

 if possible, the obnoxious principle should be removed. 

 But even as it is, he considers the introduction of 

 the febrifuge has been a great boon to the people of 

 India, as it is very much cheaper than quinine and 

 infinitely superior as an antiperiodic to any of tlie 

 indigenous drugs. — Pharmuccatical Journal. 



NITROGEN IN SOILS: PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS. 



Messes. Lawes and Gilbert. 



1. Most of the nitrogen of farm-crops is derived 

 from the nitric acid of nitrates within the soil. 



2. The nitric acid iu the soil is produced from 

 the nitrogenous compounds of the soil itself, from 

 the nitrogenous organic matter of annual and veget- 

 able-manures, from the ammonii of artificial-manures, 

 aud from the ammonia supplied by rain aud condens- 

 ation from the atmospheie, A very small quannty 

 of ready-formed nitric acid is supplied by rain and 

 condeusation from the atmosphere. Nitric acid is also 

 provided by the direct application of nitrates. 



3. The ammonia of aminonium-salts is rap dly 

 converted into nitric acid in the soil, as also is the 

 nitrogen of some organic matters, such as urine. The 

 nitrogen of rape-cake, that of the less soluble parts of 

 farmyard-manure, of stubble, of roots, &c,, is much 

 more gradually converted inio nitric acid, and it 

 may require many years for the conversiou of the 

 whole of it. The nitrogenous compounds of the soil 

 itself are very slowly converted into nitric acid, but 

 the soil yields a certain quantity every year. 



4. When there is no vegetation, and theie is 

 drainage from the land or even when tin re is vegetation, 

 and excess of drainage, nitric acid is lost by drainage. 



5. As in the case of permanent grass-land the soil 

 is always covered with vegetation, there will be with 

 it the maxunum amount of nitric acid utilised by 

 the crop, and the minimum amount lost b_v drainage. 

 Land without vegetation will be subject to the maxim- 

 um loss of niotrie acid by drainage. 



6. The power of a growing crop to utilise the 

 nitric acid m the soil is much diminished if there be 

 a deficiency of available mineral constituents, and 

 specially of potash and phosphoric acid, within the 

 reach of the roots. 



7. As the various crops grown upon a farm differ 

 very much as to the period of the year of their most 

 active growth, the length of time they remain on the 

 laud, and the character and the range of theii roots, 

 their capacity for takiug up nitric acid from the soil 

 is very different. 



8. The recognisi-d exhausting character of corn crops 

 is largely due to the limited season of their active 



