6o6 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February 2, 1885. 



Homoquiniue or cinchonidine I was unable to find, but 

 the absence of this latter alkaloid is negative evidence in 

 favour of the Kemijia theory. To summarize, we have then 

 the following facts: — (1) Microscopical: The evidence of 

 Vogl as to the great analogy of the China hicolorata. and 

 Remijia pedunculata sections. (2) Botanical: (a) Humboldt's 

 classification amongst the Ohinchonas (which then included 

 Remijias) or Exostemmas (this latter theory is now de- 

 finitely abandoned on account of important botanical dis- 

 similarities since recognized, e.g., the shape of the flowers, 

 etc., etc.); ih) Lambert's evidence as given in his drawings 

 of the leaves, which bear such a strong resemblance to 

 Karsten's Bemijia pedunculata; (c) the " family likeness " 

 between the above-mentioned rare Tolima Remijia and the 

 China hicolorata. (3) The chemical evidence : The presence 

 of alkaloids which hitherto have only been found in either 

 Cinchonas or Remijias. 



From this evidence, drawn from so many sources of so 

 distinctive a character, there can, in my humble judgment, 

 be only one conclusion, namely, that the " China hicolorata " 

 is in reality a true Kemijia, and I, therefore, suggest for 

 the consideration of professional botanists and quiuologists 

 whether it would not be well that it should no longer 

 occupy a position of " greater freedom and less respons- 

 ibility " underjthe vague term " China"* but that it should 

 boldly assume its botanical " responsibilities," and be known 

 henceforth as " Rejimia hicolorata." 



Analyses of some Old Cinchona Barks, 

 by david hoopeb, f.c.s. 



Among a number of cinchona barks I have recently 

 had occasion to analyse, the results obtained from four 

 samples of an authentic source appear worthy of publication. 

 These barks were some which had been given by Mr. 

 Mclvor, the late superintendent of the Madras plantations, 

 to Dr. de Vrij, in the year 1874. Dr. de Vrij, in handing 

 them to me for analysis, remarked that he had had them 

 by him since that time, but no opportunity had presented 

 itself for verifying the statements made on two of the 

 packages. 



Each sample was carefully marked in Mr. Mclvor's own 

 handwriting, with the following description : — 



1. Mossed bark of Cinchona officinalis. Contains no quinine. 



2. Renewed bark of C. officinalis. Contains no quinine. 



3. Renewed bark of C. officinalis, var. Uritusinga. 



4. Renewed bark of C. puhescens. 



The specimens were in thick single and double quills, 

 but their physical characters were not deemed worthy of 

 exact scrutiny. They were all in a good state of preservation. 



They yielded respectively 99, 95, 9'5, and 97 per cent 

 of hygroscopic moisture at 100° C, and gave, on analysis, 

 the following alkaloidal composition 



Quinine 084 



Oinchonidine 1'13 



Quiuidine 046 



Cinchonine 71 



Amorphous 1'88 



Total 5-02 5-57 638 _ 6'&8 



The No. 1, although not so bad as described, is much 

 poorer than one would expect from an Officinalis. No. 2 

 is peculiar in the large amount (2 per cent) of quiniiline 

 it contains. Mr. J. O. B. Moens, in ' Kinacultuur in Azie,' 

 records 12 per cent as the maximum quantity of quiuidine 

 in several estimations of this species, and that he found in 

 the root-bark. Quiuidine in such amount occurs in a variety 

 of Ledgeriana bark to which the name Quiniifera has been 

 applied, and Dr. de Vrij has found in some Java plauts of 

 C. Calisai/a a few yield over 2 per cent. The amorphous 

 alkaloids* in bark No. 2 are also remarkably high. The 

 fourth analysis indicates a very satisfactory yield of alkaloid, 

 both in total amount, and in quantity of quinine. It agrees 

 substantially with the analyses of C. pubescens made by Dr. 

 Paul, in the early part of this year, notwithstanding the 

 interval of about ten years between the times of collection. 



I have heard, on good authority, that Cinchona puhescens 

 is a fast grower and fairly constant in alkaloidal contents. 

 Several cuttings have recently been planted in the Nilgiris, 

 and the result will be looked forward to with some interest. 

 Among the large number of cinchona barks that will be 

 candidates for a place in the new pharmacopoeia, the puh- 

 escens species certainly possesses many recommendations in 

 its favour. 



In conclusion, I must express my obligations in being 

 allowed to conduct the above analyses in the laboratory of 

 Dr. W. F. Koppeschaar in the Hague. 



The President, in proposing a vote of thanks to both 

 these gentlemen, said Mr. Hodgkin was himself connected 

 with one of the most important quinine manufacturers in 

 the country, and therefore any communication from him 

 was of great interest, apart from its own intrinsic value. He 

 was connected with the firm of the late Mr. Eliot Howard, 

 a highly respected contributor to the Conference and to the 

 Pharmaceutical Society. 



Mr. Naylor asked if Mr. Hooper's paper contained any 

 details of the method employed for estimating the alkaloids. 



The President said he did not go into details. 



Mr. Elborne said the former paper was one of considerable 

 importance. He should like to know whether this Tecamez 

 bark was imported in large quantities, and whether it closely 

 corresponded to the modern cuprea bark which, as at present 

 imported was, he believed, considered to be afforded by two 

 species of Kemijia, the R. pedunculata and the R. Purdieana. 

 This paper tended to show that cuprea bark was afforded by 

 a third variety, which the author proposed to call R. 

 hicolorata. Another question which occurred to him was 

 whether this bark came from the same part of the world as 

 ordinary cuprea bark, which he believed came from the region 

 of Bucaramanga and certain tributaries of the Orinoco. 



Mr. Plowman, in reply to Mr. Elborne, said from one of 

 the statements in the paper it appeared that this was not a 

 common article of commerce. It came from Tecamez, which 

 was on the western declivity of Cotocacha in Ecuador. This 

 was not very distant from the Orinoco, so that practically 

 the geographical source might be said to be fairly identical. 

 — Pharmaceutical Journal. 



* The synonyms for this bark are many, viz., China hi- 

 colorata, China Pitoya, Oh. Tecamez, Ch. Atacamez, Pitoya 

 bark, Tecamez or Atacamez baric. China bicolore, Zwei 

 farbige China, etc., etc. 



CONSULAR REPORT.— BORNEO. 



BRUNEI. 



The exports to Singapore are valued at 8106,544, against 

 §104,438 in 1882. The value of the sago increased to 

 868,411, against 864,979 in 1881, and 853,925 in i882. The 

 gutta and rubber exported also shows au increased value 

 over that of 1882. 



SABAWAK. 



From T'ice-Consvl John Hardie to Acting Consul-deneral 



Jf. H. Treacher. 



Of the principal products of the country the following 

 figures show the quantities of each exported during the 

 past year: — Guttapercha, 3,397 piculs, showing a gradual 

 falling-off; Indiarubber, 1,421 piculs, showing a very 

 important advance, to be accounted for chiefly by the 

 rise in the value; sago flour, 110,363 piculs. Notwithstand- 

 ing that the value of sago flour was gradually falling during 

 the greater part of 1883, the production was above the 

 average of the previous two years. The manufacture is likely, 

 however, to be considerably smaller during the current year. 



Gambier, 21,437 piculs, the quantities have not varied 

 greatly, though the value has advanced in such a way as 

 ought to give an impetus to greatly extended planting. 

 Pepper, 5,370 piculs, and the productions for the current 

 year is estimated to be as much in excess of 18S3 as that 

 year was above 1882 (nearly double); Rattans, 23.9111 piculs. 

 The Government mine at Sadong yielded 5,038 tons of coal 

 in 1883, being an increase of 3,720 tons on the 1882 out- 

 put. This was mainly consumed by the steamship "Ranee." 

 Eighteen tons were supplied to H. P.. M.'s gunboat "Moorhen," 

 and the surplus shipped to Singapore, where a demand 

 appears to be springing up for this coal. The export of 

 antimony, which in 1881 amounted to 1,856 tons, in 1882 

 to 1,440 tons, fell in 1883 to 1,361 tons. The export of 

 quicksilver has fluctuated considerably during the past three 

 years, falling from 1,910 flasks in 18S1 to 489 in 1882, and 

 again to 1,400 in 1883, whit-bin a measure is to be accounted 

 for by the irregular seasons in which the retorting work 

 is done, also to a sensible falling-off iu the supply of ore. 



