lOG RUTACEiE. 



RUT ACE ^. 



CORTEX ANGOSTURiE. 



Cortex Gusparim; Angostura Bark, Gusparia Bark, Garony Bark; 

 F. Ecorce d'Angusture de Golonibie ; G. Angostura-Rinde. 



Botanical Origin — Galipea Gusparia St. Hilaire {G. offi,cinalis 

 Hancock, Bonpla'tulia trifoliata Willd., Gusparia trifoliata Engler 

 1874, Flora Brazil. 113), a small tree, 12 to 15 feet high, with 

 a trunk 3 to 5 inches in diameter, growing in abundance on the 

 mountains of San Joaquin de Caroni in Venezuela, between 7° and 8° 

 N. lat., also according to Bonpland^ near Cumana. According to 

 Hancock,^ who was well acquainted with the tree, it is also found 

 in the Missions of Tumeremo, Uri, Alta Gracia, and Cupapui, districts 

 lying eastward of the Caroni and near its junction with the Orinoko. 

 The bark is brought into commerce by way of Trinidad. 



History — Angostura Bark is said to have been used in Madrid by 

 Mutis as early as 1759^ (the year before he left Spain for South 

 America,) but it was certainly unknown to the rest of Europe until 

 much later. Its real introducer was Brande, apothecary to Queen 

 Charlotte, and father of the distinguished chemist of the same name, 

 who drew attention to some parcels of the bark imported into England 

 in 1788.'* In the same year a quantity was sent to a London drug firm 

 by Dr. Ewer of Trinidad, who describes it* as brought to that island 

 from Angostura by the Spaniards. The drug continued to arrive in 

 Europe either by way of Spain or England, and its use was gradually 

 diffused. In South America it is known as Qiiina de Caroni and 

 Cascarilla del Angostura. 



Description — The bark occurs in flattish or channelled pieces, or 

 in quills rarely as much as 6 inches in length and mostly shorter. The 

 flatter pieces are an inch or more in width and f of an inch in thick- 

 ness. The outer side of the bark is coated with a yellowish-grey corky 

 layer, often soft enough to be removeable with the nail, and then dis- 

 playing a dark brown, resinous imder surface. The inner side is light 

 brown with a rough, slightly exfoliating surface indicating close adhe- 

 sion to the wood, strips of which are occasionally found attached to it ; 

 the obliquely cut edge also shows that it is not very easily detached. 



^ Humboldt, ReUe in die Aequinociial- to prove his tree distinct from G. Gusparia 



fjegenden des neuen Continents, iv. (Stutt- St. Hil., but Farre and Don who subse- 



gart, 1860), 252. — Humboldt and Bonpland quently examined his specimens decided 



in 1804 obtaining, from the Caroni river, that the two were the same. AVith the 



flowering branches of the " C'ji.'J/)a " (^-C- !• assistance of Prof. Oliver, I also have 



300) or " Cuspare," as it is called by the examined (1871) Hancock's plant, com- 



Indians, believed it to constitute a new paring it with his figure and other speci- 



genus. In 1824 St. Hilaire ascertained it mens, and have arrived at the conclusion 



to belong to the genus Galipea. that it is untenable as a distinct species. 



The tree is figured in Bentley and — D. H. 



Trimen, Med. Plants, part 26 (1877). ■' Martiny, Encyklopiidie, i. (1843) 242. 



"^Observations on the Orayuri or Angus- •'Brande, Experiments and Observations 



tura Bark Tree, — Trans, of Medico-Botani- on the Angustura Bark. 1791. 2nd ed. 1793. 



cal Society, \f^21-2Q. — Hancock endeavoured ^London Med. Journ. x. (1789) 154, 



