Dec. I, 1S85.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



419 



Dr. ( 'Ornish in some sense speaks rather ilispai-ag- 

 iiigly of the febrifuge whicli is manufactured by 

 (lOvernniout in Northern luiiia. He says that it pro- 

 duces nausea. ^Ir. Hooper lias analyzed samples of 

 the Darjeeling febrifuge and regards it not unfavorably 

 as a drug ; and the experience of those who have 

 told me that tliey have administered it to their 

 servants and others, when on tour in feverish parts 

 of the country, leads me to regard it as much better 

 than it is conmiouly believed to be, though no doubt 

 it may fretpiently cause distm-bauce in p-irticular con- 

 stitutions when given in large tloses. Of course, if 

 it were possible, one would desire to administer 

 uolhiug but the pme alkaloids ; but the great cost 

 of manufacturing these forbids their being used oil 

 any large scale, and one must therefore be content 

 with placing within reach of the poorer classes a 

 supposed slightly inferior but much cheaper com- 

 moility. 



At the request of Messrs. Arbuthnot and Oo. of 

 Madras, 2,000 lb. of bark were sent to Oalicut to be 

 there manufactured into quinine and febrifuge by 

 their expert. Dr. Cleaver. The results, so far as they 

 have gone, are not very satisfactory ; and no account 

 has yet been j;iveu of the proportionate amount of 

 the alkaloi'ls which have been extracted from the 

 bark. Bnt I do not see why further experience should 

 not be productive of better resuIt^s. There can, I 

 think, be now little doubt that the cinchona alkaloids 

 can bo isolated as well and much more cheaply in 

 India iis in any other part of the world. 



1(>. Maps ok Kst.\tes. — I enclose three maps show- 

 ing the amount of planting and coppicing which has 

 been done since the year 1S82, on the Dodabetta, 

 Naduvatam and Hooker estates. 



EXCLOSUKKS. 



T,"tter from D. Hooper, Esq., v. c. s., Government 

 Quinologist, Ootaeamund, to the Director, Govern- 

 ment I'inchona riantatious. Parks and Giirdens, Nil- 

 girls, dated Ootacamnnd, 6th July 1885. 



T have the honor to make the following report on 

 the analytical work conducted in the Government 

 Laboratory for the half-year ending 31st iSIarch 1885. 



2. I arrived at Madras on the 6th October 1SS4 

 and proceeded to Ootaeamund. A bnilding had been 

 proviih'd for me, which, after certain adaptations and 

 tixtnres made in it, became converted into a moder- 

 ately eilicient laboratory. The chemicals and appar- 

 atus which I had used in the special study at The 

 Hague were bronght out with mn ; I was therefore 

 able to commence work about a fortnight after arrival. 



3. My appointment was made with a view to ad- 

 vance the practice of cinchona culture at the Govern- 

 ment Plantations " bj* analysing the bark of a very 

 Urge number of their trees in different stages of 

 their t^cowth, when treated undtir different systems, 

 and when grown at different altitudes." 



4. The peiiodical sales of bark which are now 

 made by public auction at Madras have been accom- 

 panied with an.alyses of the various samples. In 

 November, l.S samples were reported upon, and for 

 the February and March sales four samples were 

 tested. Of these, 10 were crown and C red bark. 

 The percentages of sulphate of quinine in the former 

 were — 



318 

 4-09 



Natural, average of 5 analyses 

 Messed „ 3 „ 



Renewed „ 4 „ ... 422 



Branch „ 3 „ ... 1(50 



Boot, one analysis ... ... ... 4' 40 



The percentages of total alkaloids in the Red barks 

 were Natural ."i-lO, Mossed 6 ;<7, Renewed 681, Branch 

 4 4',. 3 07, Root b- 1 7. 



These analyses were printed and circulated amongst 

 the buyers at the sales, and liave enabled a reserve 

 price to be placed on the various lots. 



6. With reference to paragraph C2 of your last 

 annual report. Dr. A\'. H. ( 'm nish, the then .Surgeon- 

 General, suggested that ji liquid )>rep;Lration might be 

 made uf the rod bark, which you say does not com- 



mand a remunerative price in the market, anil the 

 preparation might be similar to those of De Vrij, 

 Schacht, Paul and Unmey a.lvertised in the British 

 Medic:d papers. -Whea in Holland I w:is conversant 

 with the process for making •• Cinchona Liquida " of 

 Dr. .1. E. De Vrij, the well-known (,)uiiiologist, and had 

 mad" a samjilo before Dr. (Jornisli's suirgestion arrived. 

 At his request a further supply of a gallon was 

 made, and this was distributed to various disijensaries 

 in the Presidency, iu districts where fever was most 

 prevalent. .Such good reports on the efficacy of the 

 liquid extract were sent in by the resident meilieal 

 officers that a much larger supjily was called for. 

 Having no appliances m this station for manufacture 

 on a large scale, iu accor.lance with a Government 

 order, I went to Madras to see if this could he done 

 in the Medical Store Department, After an inspection 

 of the laboratories, I r^-ported that such a quantity 

 as a l,n(X)lb. could be made, but a continuous manu- 

 facture would seriously interfere with the arrange- 

 ments of the department. This quantity has mw 

 been ordered, and as soon as I have analysed a sample 

 of the mixed jjowder, 1 will be prepared to go to 

 Madras and superintend the manufacture of the first 

 batch, which, according to Dr. Cornish's request, shall 

 contain 40 grains of alkaloids to the fluid ounce. 



6. When samples are taken for analysis from trees 

 in the Government Oinchon.a Plantations, I have al- 

 ways endeavored to be present, so that observations 

 as to situation, soil and habit of the trees miglit be 

 uote.l. Most of my visits have been to Doilabetta 

 where the Crown barks chiefly grow, but I liave also 

 been to Naduvatam, the home of the Red barks, 

 and to the estates of Hooker and Wood at Pykara.' 

 I should like it to be understood that all my ana- 

 lytical results are calculated in percentage ou the air- 

 dried barks as they are received, 



7. The following table comprises 40 analyses show- 

 ing the alkaloidal value of the principal species of 

 cinchona growing in (i ovorument and other estates: 



•|«I"J, 



•sp!0[i!>|[y 



sno 



-i[d.iouiv 



•on; 

 -noqouiQ 



•onip 

 -innif) 



•anipi 

 -tioqonig 



•oiiiuino 



.-0 ',2 O L^ '.is 00 t- t- ® 'f3 O O 10 



ffi w o; »c ro -^ CO .rj- :p T- 35 ;^ ^ 



1^ .re -H ■I.I Oi ^ C5 1- CT IN Ml 5i OT 



71 io ^ i^ n ih ^ i-i &z vi ^ ^i ^ 



•J< 3 



2^1 



VI c; 





it. 



5 05 , 









^'A'i^ 



7^ o ■ 

 •=af 





'-i'-i 



: o 0-: 



,00 * 



= £_ a 



.-. h-. 



'^O 



