3GG RUBIACEiE. 



■ 



been removed, and caustic lye added, by which the amorphous alkaloid^ 

 will be precipitated, including qiiiiiamine if present. 



Uses — Cinchona bark enjoys the reputation of being a most valuallu 

 remedy in fevers. But the uncertainty of its composition and its in- 

 convenient bulk render it a far less eligible form of medicine than the 

 alkaloids themselves. It is nevertheless much used as a general tonic 

 in various pharmaceutical preparations. 



As to the alkaloids, the only one which is in general use is qwinlue. 

 The neglect of the others is a regrettable waste, which the result of 

 recent investigations ought to obviate. In the year 1866 the Madras 

 Government appointed a Medical Commission to test the respective 

 efficacy in the treatment of fever, of Quinine, Quinidine, Cinchonine and 

 Cinchonidine. Of the sulphates of these alkaloids, a due supply, 

 specially prepared under Mr. Howard's superintendence, was placed at 

 the disposal of the Commission. From the report^ it appears that the 

 number of cases of paroxysmal malarious fevers treated was 2472, 

 namely 846 with Quinine, 664^ with Quinidine, 569 with Cinchonihc, 

 and 403 with Cinchonidine. Of these 2472 cases, 2445 were cured, and 

 27 failed. The difference in remedial value of the four alkaloids, as 

 deduced from these experiments, may be thus stated: 



Quinidine— ratio of failure per 1000 cases treated 6 

 Quinine ,, „ 7 



Cinchonidine „ ,, 10 



Cinchonine „ 23 



The Indian Government, acting on the recommendation of Mr. 

 Howard, has officially advised (Dec. 16, 1873} the more free use in India 

 of cinchona alkaloids other than quinine, and especially of sulphate oj 

 cinchomchne, which is procurable in abundance from Red Bark^ Qui- 

 nidine on the other hand, whicli has proved the most valuable of all, w 

 only obtainable from a few barks and in very limited amount. 



Ur.de Vry since 1876 advocates the use of what he calls Qumtm. 

 iJm preparation is obtained by exhausting the barks with shglitl} 

 acidulated water, and precipitating the whole amount of alkaloids by 

 caustic soda. In India the remedy is known as " the Febrifuge."^ 



Adulteration— There is not now any frequent importation of 

 spurious cinchona barks, but the substitution of bad varieties for good 

 IS sutiiciently common. To discriminate these in a positive manDer b} 

 ascertaining the percentage of quinine, which is the chief criterion oi 

 value, recourse must be had to chemical analysis, a method of perform; 

 ing which has been described. Entirely worthless barks may be easil} 



reCOCmi7Pri \\-lT n^r^r^^r, „r /^_ 1 < . . , •' 



Modern Work 



deJw^''^^''''''"^ enumeration has been drawn up for the sake of those 

 *lesmng more ami.le information than is contained in the foregoing 



'-a^t'; fsTo^-f^'J'fi" «-;;-« Cyl- ^ We heard that the GoveruBUut J^ 



contain; very inLesth.1 r^^^' ''I*"''* Purchased (April 1874) by tender bet>^ 

 medical details See S^^rf ^P^j:,*^"* 300 and 400 lb. of cinchomdine 



