39 2 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[November i, 1884. 



DE0O0TION AND INFUSION OF CINCHONA BARK. 



BY B. H. PAUL, PH.D. 



On a previous occasion incidental reference was made to 

 the relatively small quantity of alkaloid present in the 

 infusion and decoction of cinchona bark as compared with 

 that contained in the bark used in making those prepar- 

 ations, and as it seemed desirable to examine this suhject 

 "more fully, I have carried out a series of experiments with 

 a number of different kinds of cinchona bark. 



Setting aside that official variety of bark, commonly known 

 by the term "flat calisaya," as being practically a thing 

 of the past, I have operated chiefly upon samples c ure- 

 sponding more or less with the other variety prescribed in 

 the British Pharmacopoeia for making infusion and decoction. 

 Cinchona bark of this description is now abundant, but 

 the very wide range of difference in the amount of alkal- 

 oids present in different samples constitutes a practical 

 difficulty in the selection of a sample suitable for pharmaceut- 

 ical purposes. Some of the unusually rich kinds, such 

 as the Ledger bark of Java, Ceylon and British India, are 

 too rare to be altogether fitting for Ibis purpose, while, 

 on the other hand, bark is often met with which is almost 

 destitute of alkaloid, though presenting external characters 

 that alone would recommend it for use. I have, therefore, 

 in all cases operated with bark selected on the more accurate 

 basis of analysis, the results of which are stated below: — 

 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 



Quinine... 

 Quinidine 

 Oinchonidrae 

 Cinchonine 



Amorphous 



4-62 1-02 4-38 4-18 5-50 3'46 



_ _ _ — -37 11 



■27 1-29 -28 064 



•10 -68 -25 -30 



38 '40 



•00 



— 91 



•20 '34 

 •40 '44 



5-21 3-59 5'29 552 647 5'26 

 Thes • figures sufficiently show the differences which obtain 

 in regard to the amount anil relative proportions of the 

 alkaloids contained in cinchona bark, and the samples referred 

 to above were chosen as well calculated to furnish the 

 information required as to the representation of the medicinal 

 properties of the drug by the decoction and infusion. 



Decoction made according to the directions of the Britisn 

 Pharmacopoeia, with the sample of bark No. 1. gave the 

 results shown in the following table :— 



Quinine 



( linchonidine 



Cinchonine ... 



Amorphous ... 



In 1 pint 

 decoction. 



1 ^ rains. 

 ... 3-41 . 

 ... -41 . 

 ... 31 . 

 ... 41 . 



Left in 



bark. 



Grains. 



21-89 



1-06 



■23 



•75 



In lj oz. 

 original bark. 

 Grains. 

 2530 

 1-47 

 •54 

 116 



With the 



4-54 23.93 28-47 



bark No. 2. the results were as follows: 



Quinine 

 Oinchonidine 

 Cinchonine .. 

 Amorphous .. 



No. 3 gave— 



Alkaloids ... 

 No. 4 gave— 



In 1 pint 

 decoction. 



Grains. 

 ... 105 . 

 ... 1-79 . 

 ... -76 . 

 ... 57 



117 



In 1 pint 

 decoction. 



Grains. 

 ... 65 



Left in 



bark. 

 Grains. 



4-50 



531 



21U 



2' 75 



15-50 



Left ill 



bark. 



Grains. 



22-4 



Alkaloids .. 

 No. 5 was 

 gave — 



In 1 pint Left iu 



decoction. bark. 



Grains. drains. 



... 10-3 ... 19-89 



a fine sample of Ledger bark 



Alkaloids ... 



In 1 pint 

 decoction. 

 Grains. 

 .. 155 



Left in 



bark. 



drains. 



19-9 



In 1J oz. 



original bark. 



Grains. 



5-56 



7-10 



370 



. . 3-31 



1907 



In 1} oz. 

 original bark. 

 Grains. 

 28-9 



In lj oz. 

 original bark. 



Grains. 

 ... 30-19 

 from Java ; it 



In original 



bark lj oz. 



Grains. 



354 



No. 6 was a mixture of natural and renewed Crown bark 

 grown iu India ; it gave — 



Alkaloids 

 It will be 



Iu 1 pint 

 decoction. 



Grains. 

 ... 8-33 

 evident, from 



Left in In original 



bark. bark. 1 J oz. 



Grains. Grains. 



... 20-44 ... 28-77 



these data that in making 



decoction of bark only small proportions of the alkaloids 

 present iu the bark used are made available medicinally, 

 much the greater portion being left in the residual bark. 

 Consequently, the decoction is a very wasteful preparation 

 as regards this portion of the medicinal value of cinchona 

 bark. At the same time it must be mentioued that there 

 is a further deviation from the natural proportions of the 

 constituents of the drug, inasmuch as those which are 

 readily soluble in water preponderate in the decoction as 

 much as the alkaloids are deficient. 



In this respect the defects of the decoction of hark 

 resemble those previously pointed out as appertaining to 

 the liquid extract made by the proceps directed iu the 

 British Pharmacopoeia. The product obtained in either 

 ease is not a normal representation of the material from 

 which it is made, but relatively the decoction is in this 

 respect a better preparation than the liquid extract. 



lufusions prepared, as the B. P. directs, from the samples 

 of bark Nos. 4,5 amd b gave the following results : — 



Grains. Grains. Grains. 

 Alkaloid in 1 pint of infusion 9'50 ... 12'86 ... 6-08 



Alkaloid in 1 oz. bark 24-15 ... 28-30 ... 2301 



Alkaloid left in bark 1405 ... 15'44 ... 16-93 



Wheu it is remembered that the bark used in the forego- 

 ing experiments was of a better description than that com- 

 monly taken for the preparation of infusion or decoction, 

 it can easily be un lerstood that these preparations are often 

 inferior in medicinal efficacy, and that much uncertainty 

 may attend their use. This is a defect which necessarily 

 attaches to all galenical preparations, unless they are made 

 with special regard to the composition of the materials 

 employed and to the chemical features of the processes 

 followed. Whether these points can be taken into account 

 sufficiently to remedy such defects, or whether the labour 

 of doing so would exceed the advantage to be gained, I leave 

 for the consideration of practical pharmacists. Iu any case 

 it seems, from a common-sense point of view, desirable 

 that the efficacy of medicinal preparations should not be 

 left to chance in any degree, but regulated and rendered 

 as far as possible uniform by precise knowledge of their 

 composition. — Phamiact utical Journal, 



Oil mom the Gk.u-e-Seed is now used in Italy for 

 illuminating purposes. As extracted at Modena, thirty-three 

 pounds of grape-seed yield about thirteen quarts of oil, or 

 about eighteen per cent. The seeds of the black grape yield 

 more oil than the white varieties, and those of young vines are 

 more prolific than old stocks. The color of the soil is golden 

 yellow, and twenty-five per cent is lost in the process of purific- 

 ation. — Independent Journal, 



Simile Manure. — Notwithstanding the teachings of many 

 excellent persons that stable manure is the most costly of 

 all fertilizers, it is today the most popular of all. Poss- 

 ibly it is one of those direct cases in which accidental 

 advantages outweigh direct ones — iu popular parlance, a 

 case where the "longest way round is the shortest way 

 there." Horses and men are often in need of something to do, 

 and they can be put to work at manure hauling wheu 

 there is nothing else needed. Again, the lightening of the 

 soil by the decay of vegetable matter is a gain. In short, 

 the value of manure is not wholly a question of chemistry. 

 — Gardeners' Monthly. 



GlNGEH Champaunk.— This refreshing and agreeable bever- 

 age is, according to a French recipe, made as follows: — 

 Take sixty gallons of water; add forty pounds of ginger 

 cut in small pieces, and gently boil for half an hour, care- 

 fully removing any froth that may arise. Cool the liquor 

 as quickly as possible, and wheu at a blood-heat ( 100 ° F) 

 add nine pounds of raisins chopped fine and the juice of 

 six dozen oranges and six dozen lemons. Allow the liquid 

 to ferment, and after standing a month it may be bot- 

 tled in the usual manner. If desired, the ginger may be 

 omitted, and the number of oranges increased to eighteen 

 dozen. — Popular Science A< »,, 



