548 MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



CHINCHONA CULTURE. 



Chinchona 



Culture. 



Order. 



Botanical Order— species— native countries — distribution — discovery of medicinal 

 qualities — by whom described. — Threatened failure of American supplies of 

 bark. — Suggestions for introduction of chinchona into the East Indies 

 — attempts to introduce made by the French and Dutch — the Indian 

 Covernment recommends the sending of a collector to South America — the 

 Court of Directors select Mr. Markham for the duty — his search — Mr. Spruce's 

 search for Red barks— Ur. Prifcchett's search for Grey barks— Mr. Cross procures 

 Crown hark Seeds — Pitayo barks. — Selection of sites on the Nilagiris and 

 formation of plantations — area of plantations — financial results. — Policy of 

 Government in regard to the plantation scheme. — The manufacture of alka- 

 loids in the country. — Mr. Broughton ajipointed quinologist — his researches — 

 Amorphous quinine. — Alkaloid manufactory. — Analysis of barks. — Chief species 

 and varieties of chinchona in India — Cultivation. — Manure. — Harvesting the 

 bark. — Drying the bark. — Packing. — Publications on chinchona. 



CH. XXX. The genus Chinchona, the number of species of which has been 

 reduced by Messrs. Hooker and Bentham to thirty-six, belongs 

 to the order of Chinchonacece, one of the five natural orders 

 appertaining to the chinchonal alliance — an alliance which, it is 

 of interest to note, is not far removed from the Myi'tles, to which 

 order belongs the Eucalyptus or gum of Australia — being distin- 

 guished therefrom by the small embryo and large quantity of 

 albumen. The order has two sub-divisions : (1) Coffese, (2) Chin- 

 chonaceae. Of it Dr. Lindley remarks : — 



" Cinchonads ^ are almost exclusively fouud in the hotter parts of the 

 world, especially within the tropics, where they are said to constitute 

 about one-twenty-uinth of the whole number of flowering plants. This 

 order is not only one of the largest of which we have knowledge, but also 

 c<mtains a very considerable number of most important species largely 

 employed for the use of man in the countries they inhabit. Many 

 are accordingly the most valuable of remedial agents, acting as tonics, 

 febrifuges, emetics, or purgatives ; others, on the conti-ary, having their 

 secretions in a state of great concentration, prove to be formidable 

 poisons : nevertlioless a few produce eatable frnit, and one is distin- 

 guished above all others for its agreeable stimulating seeds.' Dyeing 

 qualities are also observed in a small number." 



' Vegetable Kingdom, Cinchonals. 

 ^ Cofifee. 



