43^ 



The tropical agriculturist. [November i, i88z. 



from the north, and of two new types of "cuprea" 

 from newly explored regions. The " cupreas " of Bucca- 

 maranga have now been imported into Europe for several 

 years, and more recently in such quantities as to cause 

 a considerable fall in the price of sulphate of quinine. This 

 fall was due not only to the large consignments that were 

 received, but also to the expectation of others, it being 

 «nti"'inced that i-ast forests of the trees yielding these 

 viluable barks existed. This is now known to be incorrect, 

 and unfortunately it is possible that the Buccamaranga 

 '* cuprea " will become rather scarce. 



The " cuprea " barks have quite a special, very compact 

 appearance. They are remarkable for their great density, 

 which exceeds that of all other quinine barks ; the apparent 

 density varying according to my experiments from 1'128 

 to 1'180, taking water as unity. They are therefore easily 

 distinguishable from all cinchona barks, except " pitayo " 

 and " calisaya ; " like these latter, the " cuprea," instead 

 of floating on the surface of water, sinks immediately 

 to the bottom. 



The transverse fracture of "cuprea," after it has been 

 trimmed with a knife, is characterized by a horny appearance. 

 All the cells are, in fact, filled with a gum-resinous, matter 

 that is not present in the ordinary cinchona barks. Not- 

 withstanding this appearance, which is so different from 

 that of good cinchona barks, the " cuprea " bark contains 

 sometimes upwards of 2^ per cent of quinine. It is therefore 

 a valuable bark and justly sought after. The following 

 shows the percentage obtained in analyses made of several 

 samples coming from Buccamaranga : — 



I. II. III. IV. V. VI. 



Quinine 160 1-68 1-80 138 1-29 099 



Quinidine 047 057 057 037 055 0-36 



Oinchonine ... 0-54 055 O'St 045 060 055 



This bark has been described by Professor FlUckiger* 

 from a botanical point of view, and M. Planchon has recently 

 published t an interesting paper on the microscopic sections 

 of " cuprea." On the other hand, Mr. D. Howard J has 

 stated that cinchonidine is entirely absent from this bark 

 a fact that is confirmed by all my own analyses. The 

 absence of cinchonidine constitutes therefore a perfectly 

 distinct character of this species, in addition to its great 

 density. 



In order to give a correct idea of the densities of these 

 barks I will give here some results that I have obtained 

 with specimens for which I am indebted to the kindness 

 of Professor Planchon, and with typical barks determined 

 by M "Weddel. As far as possible, I selected barks of the 

 same thickness, taken from the trunk or large branches, 

 so as to have them not differing much in age. 

 Genus Cinchoiui. 

 ■Water=l. 



Cinchona lancifolia 0"617 



Cinchona rosiilenta ... ... ... ... 0"614 



Cinchona coj-rfiyb/ia ("Weddel's coll.)... ... 0'844 



Cinchona succirnhra ... ... ... ... 0'915 



Cinchona Cnttsnycr (from Planchon) 1'021 



Cinchona Calisaya {"Wedders coll.).. . ... 1'064 



Cinchona Pi^ayCTs/.s (from Planchon) ... I'077 



Genus Remijia ("Cuprea.") 

 Cuprea buccamaranga ... ... ... ... 1*128 



Cuprea llanos^ north ... ... ... ... 1*179 



Cuprea llanos^ south ... ... ... ... 1*160 



Bark yielding cinchonamiue 1*320 



Genus Cascarilla. 

 Cascarilla maynifotia ("Weddel' coll.) ... 0*958 



The considerable variation in the apparent densities will 

 not escape notice ; first amongst the cinchona barks them- 

 selves and then between them and the " cupreas," for it 

 is now certain that the "cuprea" barks do not belong 

 to the genus Cinchona, but to a neighbouring genus. 



I wiU turn now to the new " cupreas " which are the 

 special subject of this note. I have received two series 

 of specimens from the Cordillera regions, opposite the 

 llanos^ or immense plains which in the eastern part of 

 the United States of Columbia extend down to the Orinoco. 

 The first series of these specimens came from the northern 

 part of these mountains ; the second came from the south. 



* Neues Jahrhuch f. Phannacie, xxxvi., 296. 

 t Journ. de Pharmacie et tie Chimie, [5], v. 

 } Fharmaceutical Journal, [3J, xil, 528. 



The " cuprea " from the northern part much resembles 

 in appearance that from Buccamaranga, it being very hard, 

 durable and dense. It is of a dark red-brown colour, 

 and has a mean density of 1*179. The following are the 

 percentage results of analyses of three specimens, being 

 those presenting the greatest difference in alkaloidal contents 

 amongst all the barks from this district that I have 

 analysed : — 



I. II. III. 



Quinine 0*39 0*57 0*78 



Quinidine 0*36 0*45 0*72 



Oinchonine 0*72 0*66 0*67 



The richness in alkaloids, and especially in quinine. Is 

 much less than in the " cupreas " from Buccamaranga, at 

 least in the ten or twelve specimens that I have analysed. 



The second series of " cupreas," from the southern part 

 of these mountains, appears, as far as can be seen, to be 

 more important. This bark is of a lighter coloiur than the 

 two types above-mentioned ; it is also very compact and 

 dense, its mean density being 1*160. In alkaloidal strength 

 it is very variable, but I have one specimen nearly as 

 rich as those from Buccamaringa. The following are my 

 determinations : — 



I. II. III. 



Quinine 1*35 0*51 0*48 



''.Juinidine 0*48 0*49 0*48 



Oinchonine 0*99 0*81 0*80 



it may be remarked that these three types, coming from 

 different districts of Oolimibia, possess physical properties 

 and a chemical composition which allow of their immediate 

 recognition as " cupreas," apart from their external appear- 

 ance. Indeed they all contain a large proportion of quinidine. 

 Sometimes these barks even contain as much quinidine 

 as quinine, whilst in cinchona barks quinidine is relatively 

 rare, at least in appreciable quantities. On the other hand, 

 in the '* cupreas " there is a total absence of cinchonidine, 

 the alkaloid that occurs so widely and so abundantly in 

 some Columbian barks. The great density of these barks 

 as compared with ordinary cinchona barks has already been 

 referred to. 



For all these facts there is a complete explanation, since 

 M. Triana, the eminent Columbian botanist, has shown 

 that the " cupreas " do not belong to the genus Cinchona, 

 but to the very clojsely allied genus Remijia.* 



The occurrence of barks relatively rich in quinine that 

 are not derived from cinchonas is a very important fact, 

 and it seems to me the more interesting because the 

 " cupreas " appear to be met with throughout the Columbian 

 Cordilleras, and possibly in all parts of the Andes where 

 the cinchonas are usually found. This expectation appears 

 to be warranted by the two series of " cupreas " received 

 by me from the llanos. The " cupreas " differ so com- 

 pletely from the cinchonas that it is easy to understand 

 how they have hitherto escaped the search of the American 

 exporters, and it will yet be some time before it can 

 be ascertained what may be expected from the riches of 

 the American forests in '* cupreas." 



It is now only remains to establish the identity of quinine 

 extracted from ** cuprea " with the quinine from cinchona, 

 and the following experiments are perfectly conclusive on 

 this point. The sulphate of quinine obtained from " cuprea " 

 bark cry.stallizes very well. It presents the appearance 

 of ordinary sulphate of quinine and gives the same reactions. 

 Further the rotatory power of the sulphate in acid solution 

 leaves no doubt as to the identity. The following results 

 were obtained with a solution of the sulphate in 10 c.c. 

 of normal hydrochloric acid diluted with water to 25 c.c. 

 w=0*490 gr.; X=0*220 m. ; v=25 c.c; ax, =—9*70; the 

 temperature being 12° C, which gives (a)^ = — 224*8. 



Pure sulphate of (juinine from cinchona bark, under the 

 same conditions, show an average rotatory power that 

 is practically the same, or (a)o = — 225. 



In conclusion I would remark that as it is now evident 

 that quinine occurs in other than cinchona barks, it will 

 be desirable to search for this alkaloid in the barks of 

 the genera allied to the cinchonas, which, perhaps, like 

 the " cupreas," might contain it in considerable quantity, 

 — Pharmaceutical Journal. 



* M. Triana determined the botanical genus and species 

 of the " cupreas " with leaves and fruits coming from the 

 same trees as the barks analysed by me. 



