144 DRUGS AND TOBACCO 



an important one in Croatia and Slavonia in South Hungary, 

 the chief centre for foreign belladonna. ... In August 1916 

 the drug atropine derived from the plant had risen from 

 10s. 6d. per ounce before the war to 7 per ounce.' l 



Another important British drug is derived from Foxgloves, 

 and there are very many other drug-producing plants. 

 Mrs. Grieve in her catalogue gives more than 600 which can 

 be grown in the British Isles. 



Of other drugs which are not suitable to our climate, quinine, 

 opium, eucalyptus, and camphor are among the most important. 



QUININE. ' This medicine, the most precious of all those 

 known in the art of healing, is one of the greatest conquests 

 made by man over the vegetable kingdom. The treasures 

 which Peru yields, and which the Spaniards sought and dug 

 out of the bowels of the earth, are not to be compared in utility 

 with the bark of the quinaquina trees which they for a long 

 time ignored.' Dictionnaire des Sciences Medicales. 



Quinaquina (bark of bark) is the name given by the Indians 

 of Peru to the trees which we call Chinchona trees ; our word 

 quinine is derived from it. Quinine is a white substance, very 

 bitter and without smell. It is obtained by a complicated 

 process from the powdered bark of various species of chin- 

 chona trees. Its uses are many and various, but it is valued 

 most of all for its healing virtues in cases of fever and malarial 

 affections of all kinds. In these illnesses it is without rival 

 in efficacy. 



Chinchona Trees. Twenty-four miles to the south-east of 

 Madrid ' on a breezy hill ' stand the ruins of the aid castle of 

 Chinchon, ' with the little town nestling at its feet.' 



Hither came in 1621 the young and beautiful bride of the 

 Count of Chinchon. She was twenty years old, and eight years 

 later she accompanied her husband to Lima in Peru, of which 

 country he had been made viceroy. But the climate was 

 unhealthy, and in 1638 the countess was stricken with fever 

 and lay in a dangerous condition in the palace at Lima. 



1 M. Grieve. 



