CINCHONA. 



made by Mr. Poppig, in the account of his journey in South America ; 

 of the translation in the Companion to the Botanical Magazine I 

 have made large use. It is very much to be wished that Mr. Poppig 

 would furnish the world with the many other facts he must possess 

 concerning this interesting subject. No genus is more worthy of 

 a monograph than Cinchona, and no one could write that monograph 

 so well as Mr. Poppig. 



As a specimen of the way in which this accomplished writer handles 

 his subject, I close these remarks with the following extract upon the 

 very important subject of the climate producing barks of the finest 

 quality : — " The principal districts of the bark collectors are situated 

 on what is called the Montana de Huanuco, that is in the woods, which 

 commencing near Ceja, in the province of Huamalies, stretch eastward 

 through the northern part of Huanuco, and especially abound in the 

 Quebrado of Chinchao; also filling the valleys of the mountains of 

 Mufia, Acomayo, and Panataguas, and losing themselves probably near 

 the Rio Pachitea. The Cascarilleros of Huanuco range through the 

 eastern side of the Andes in that province, and skirting the Rio Mon- 

 zon, reap a rich harvest in the valley of Huallaga, and in the extra- 

 ordinary deep valleys and defiles, such as the Quebradas of Chinchao 

 and Casapi, which every where intersect and divide the country in this 

 direction. Beyond the bounds that I have stated, the Cinchona trees 

 grow in such a shrubby state that their bark, though powerful in quality, 

 is unsuited for the purposes of commerce, and to the north of the 

 Huallaga again, where the valleys are close and warm, its virtues are 

 so deteriorated, as either to be entirely rejected by the merchants in 

 Lima, or to fetch only a very inferior price, as it is easily distinguishable 

 from the true Huanuco bark. The same species of Cinchona is so 

 much affected by a subalpine situation and warm temperature as to 

 produce an entirely different bark, a fact which I have verified by 

 numerous experiments. The habit of the tree, too, is materially 

 changed. All this is quite contrary to the opinion of Condamine, who 

 makes the extraordinary assertion that the barks of the warm districts 

 are the most powerful, while he virtually contradicts himself by stating, 

 a few pages farther on, that the Cinchona from Jaen de Bracomoros 

 was so bad that its very name condemned and rendered it unsaleable in 

 Panama. The environs of Jaen are very low, being stated by Hum- 

 boldt as having about the same altitude and temperature as the lower 

 Huallaga, and to this day its produce is considered of quality in- 

 ferior to what comes from Mayobamba, Chacapoyas, and Lamas. 

 The small quantities of bark that are obtainable on the Jalcas, at con- 

 siderable elevations, are sent to Truxillo, the natural port for the 

 produce of this district, and bear a fair character, though the trade is 

 only occasional. The bark from Mayobamba is very small, and 

 gathered from the Cascarilla boba, which, even about Cuchero, possesses 

 but little efficacy, and in the wanner atmosphere of Maynas is entirely 

 inert. It was with these descriptions of bark that the cunning Peru- 

 vians deceived the rash and eager people from Brazil, who, after having 

 expelled the Spaniards, hoped to realise and possess some of the 

 fabled treasures of Peru, by making extensive commercial enterprises 

 to Yurimagnas and Mayobamba. No wonder that the speculators of 

 Para cursed the Peruvian bark trade (see Martkis's Travels, vol. iii. 

 p. 1 178.), for the article that I found lying unsold at Para was the 

 very worst that could be sent from Peru. Even now, the ignorance 

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