1031 



CINCHONA. 



CINCHONA. 



loss 



called Cascarilla Provinciana, which differs from that of Huanuco by 

 ita decided whitish colour and greater roughness of the surface. It is 

 thicker and more woody, the fracture is more fibrous, and the colour 

 is of a bright cinnamon-brown. A bark, called Pata de Gallinazo, from 

 the numerous specimens of Graphis, a forked sort of Lichen, found 

 on its surface, is yielded by this sort, as well as three others. Reichel 

 considers the samples which Poppig brought home as undoubtedly 

 belonging to the Huanuco Bark of commerce. Its taste, which is at 

 first acid, becomes afterwards a powerful and permanent bitter. 

 Lindley regards this species as identical with C. scrobiadata. 



14. C. glandulifera (C. ylanduloa). Leaves ovate-lanceolate ; on 

 the upper side smooth and shining, with glands at the axils of the 

 veins ; on the under side shaggy, especially upon the principal veins ; 

 panicles somewhat corymbose ; corolla velvety on the tube, woolly in 

 the inside of the limb ; capsules oblong, three times as long as broad. 

 The flowers are three lines long, and of a pale rose-colour. This tree 

 only inhabits the higher mountains of Peru, and is more scarce than 

 many of the other kinds ; its trunk is from 12 to 15 feet high, and its 

 flowers, in the month of February, fill the forests with their perfume. 

 On the colder parts of the mountains it becomes a bush, the greatest 

 produce from which is five or six pounds of bark. It is considered, 

 according to Poppig, one of the finest sorts of Cinchona ; he says that 

 the Peruvians distinguish it by its blackish rind, which is only here 

 and there interrupted by small shagreen spots when in a fresh state. 

 The common people consider these blotches an integral part of the 

 bark, -and look upon it as the more valuable if beneath the larger spots 

 there appears a black shining velvety substance dispersed in ovals of 

 some lines broad ; this is probably caused by some Byssus. The bark- 

 gatherers hence call it Ca&carilla Negrilla. When broken, it exhibits a 

 glossy, shining, almost reainy fracture of a ripe orange-colour passing 

 into a fiery-brown. A variety of it, called Case. Proviuciana Negrilla, 

 is obtained from the trees growing in warm valleys. According to Mr. 

 Reichel, this bark is equal to the finest sort from Loxa, but it is not 

 known in Europe, except in mixture with other kinds. 



" Corollas smooth externally. 



15. C. caducifora (C. magnifolia, Humb.). Leaves oval, smooth, erect, 

 hairy in the axils of the leaves ; panicle brachiate, with corymbose 

 branches ; corolla smooth, falling off very quickly ; capsules oblong, 

 four times as long as broad. Found near Jaeu de Bracamorros, a hot 

 damp country, where it is called C. bora. The tree is described by 

 Bonpland as being above 190 feet high ; its bark is not employed. 



18. C. rusta (C. fuaca). Leaves oval, tapering to the base, bluntly 

 acuminate at the point, smooth on each side ; panicles clustered, 

 branches corymbose ; corolla smooth on the outside, its limb downy 

 above ; capsules oblong, three time* as long as broad. This occurs 

 not unfrequently about Cuchero, where it forms a highly beautiful 

 tree, which in its size and ramification may be justly compared with 

 the White Beech of Europe. In July it is covered with innumerable 

 pale violet flowers, whence it has obtained the name of Palo de San 

 Juan. Its bark is not collected, but Poppig thinks it would be found 

 to possess good qualities. 



In addition to these species, Dr. Lindley recognises in his ' Flora 

 Medica ' the following : 



C. lucuauefolia, Pavon (C. stupea). A species said to furnish a part 

 of the Loxa Bark. 



C. laneeolata ' FL Per." Ruiz suspects this species to be the true 

 source of the Calisaya Bark. It is found in the districts of Muiia, 

 Panas, Pillao, and Cuchero. 



C. rotundifoliti, Ruiz and Pavon, MSS. From a specimen in Mr. 

 Lambert's Museum. Found at Loxa in Quito. 



C. cordifolia, Mutis, MSS. Fwund in the mountains of New Gra- 

 nada, at an elevation of from 5000 to 8000 feet above the sea. 



C. hirtuta, ' Fl. Per.' It is probable this species yields some of the 

 fine Yellow Bark of the shops. It is found in high and cold places 

 near PilUo and Acomayo. 



C. villota, Pavon (C. Humboldtlana, Lambert). Found at S. Jacn 

 de Loxa. 



C. obl'mgifolia, Lambert. Although nothing is known of this plant 

 beyond the specimens in the Lambertiau Museum, the London College 

 of Physicians, in their ' Pharmacopoeia ' of 1836 recognised it as yield- 

 ing one of the barks of commerce. 



C. acuiifolia, ' Fl. Per." It is found in the lower groves of the 

 Peruvian Andes, in Chicoplaya, by the river Taso. It yields very 

 poor bark. 



C. tltnocarpa, Lambert. From Jaen, in the mountains of Loxa. 



C. cava, Pavon. From Quito. 



Whatever may be the botanical history of the different kinds of 

 bark, on their arrival in Europe they are known by names which have 

 reference rather to their physical appearance or the place whence 

 obtained, than to the botanical characters of the trees which furnish 

 them. In England they are classed under three heads pale, yellow, 

 and red barks. Of each there are several varieties, which comprehend 

 however, various barks, not the produce of any of the genuine species 

 of Cinchona above enumerated, but obtained from species of K.m- 

 ttcmma, Buena, and Strychnoe (according to Mr. Burchell). These 

 last, called false or spurious Cinchona barks, are all distinguished from 

 the true Cinchona barks by the absence of Cinchonia, Quinia, and 



Aricina (or Cusco-Cinchonia, a principle found in the Cusco or Arica 

 Bark, referred to the Cinchona rubiginosa, Bergen). Several of these 

 spurious barks are employed in fever and other diseases, but they are 

 chiefly used to adulterate the more valuable kinds of Cinchonas. 

 Even when there is no intermixture of these inferior sorts, a variable- 

 ness in quality occurs in the bark of the same species, according to 

 its place of growth. The finer kinds are known by experienced persons 

 by a glance of the eye ; but it is extremely difficult to indicate, by any 

 description, the marks by which they are guided. All kinds arrive in 

 Europe in the same package, either a chest or serone, which is formed 

 of pieces of wood rudely fastened together, and covered with the hides 

 of animals. They are afterwards sorted, and bring very different 

 prices in the markets, according to the degree of estimation in which 

 each kind is held. We shall describe the best kind only of each ; but 

 we must remark, that much prejudice exists on this point, and some- 

 times excellent kinds are rejected, while inferior sorts are prized. To 

 meet these prejudices, the barkers employ various artifices, more or 

 less injurious. The most useful classification of barks is that proposed 

 by Geiger, which has reference to the relative proportions of their 

 alkaloids : 1. Those in which Cinchonia predominates : chiefly pale 

 or brown barks. 2. Those in which Quiuia predominates, of which 

 there is only one the yellow bark of English commerce, called China 

 regia vera, China Caliiaya. 3. Those in which Cinchonia and Quiuia 

 exist in nearly equal proportions, red barks, and the yellow bark of 

 continental writers ; the China of Carthagena of the French, China 

 Jlava dura, Quina amarilla. This last is also called orange bark 

 (Quina aurantiaca of Mutis), which is not the yellow bark of English 

 commerce, though by some it is erroneously so considered ; and hence 

 the frequent error in the British Pharmacopoeias of referring yellow 

 bark to the C. cordifoha (Mutis). 



Of the Pale Barks three varieties are known in English commerce : 

 1. Crown or Loxa Bark. 2. Gray, Silver, or Huanuco Bark. 3. Ash 

 Bark. These are always quilled, and never in flat pieces. The 

 powder, which gives the name, varies from gray to fawn-colour. 



1. The first variety, Crown or Loxa Bark, called also True Loxa 

 Bark, is obtained either exclusively from the C. Condaminea, or 

 from it and C. icrobiculata. It occurs in pieces from six to 

 fourteen inches long, the quills varying in diameter from the 

 fourth or even smaller part of an inch to nearly half an inch ; the 

 rolls are sometimes double, meeting at the centre : the diameter of 

 the bark is from a quarter of a line to a line and a half. The colour 

 of the exterior is marked dark gray, in some specimens verging to 

 brown. A shining but peculiar appearance is observable upon it, 

 owing to the thallus of the lichens spreading over it. This commonly 

 alternates with the colours of other lichens, grayish-white, yellowish- 

 white, bluish-white, so that the bark acquires an appearance as if it 

 were painted. Numerous transverse cracks, often extending from one 

 side of the bark to the other, with the edges a little raised, are seen, 

 i sometimes close to each other, sometimes more remote, especially in 

 ! the larger pieces, in which also they rarely extend to the whole cir- 

 cumference of the piece. In the larger pieces longitudinal cracks are 

 observed, and between these warts or knots frequently arise, which 

 give a very rough feel to such specimens. The Usnea, Jluridu, and 

 some foliaceous lichens, such as Parmdia perforata (Ach.), often 

 remain attached to it. The inner surface is smooth, except some deli- 

 cate, irregularly-longitudinal fibres : the colour is a cinnamon or 

 darker brown. The fracture of the smaller quills is even, or slightly 

 fibrous ; that of the larger pieces more so, the fibres firm, but neither 

 oblique nor vitreous, as in the yellow bark (China, regia); but the 

 outer circle presents a resinous aspect. The odour resembles that of 

 tan. The taste at first is slightly astringent, and faintly acid ; after- 

 wards very astringent, somewhat bitter, but not acrid. 



In respect to its chemical composition, this variety is commonly 

 supposed to contain Cinchonia (discovered in pale bark by Dr. 

 Duncan, jun.) only ; but this is a mistake, and it is most probable 

 that the specimens which, when analysed, yielded no Quiuia, were 

 either very thin quills obtained from young branches or trees, or were 

 specimens of Huauuco Bark. Bucholz analysed sixteen ounces of the 

 Loxa Bark of commerce, yet found no Quinia, but some error is 

 reasonably suspected ; the other constituents were found to be 



Drachms. Gluing. 



Fatty matter, with Chlorophylls . . . 1 

 Bitter soft Resin (Geiger thinks this con- 

 tained Quinia) ...... 2 



Hard Resin (red insoluble colouring-matter) . 12 

 Tannin (with trace of Acetic Acid) ... 3 



Cinchonia 28 



Kinic Acid 1 30 



Hard Resin, with Phyteumacolla . . .149 

 Tannin, with Chloride of Lime . . . . 4 25 



Gum 5 40 



Kinate of Lime 1 40 



Starch, a trace 



Woody Fibre 



The Cinchonia exists in combination with the kinic acid, in the 

 form of lunate of cinchonia. A prejudice exists in favour of the thin 

 quilled pieces, but they are not so well adapted to form extracts, &c., 

 nor to be employed as medicine. Mutis many years ago stated that 



