158 DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 



of Colombia. The barks of these species are admitted into market only when 

 they yield two per cent, or over, of alkaloids. 



Geography. — The geographical home of the cinchona is in the tropical 

 Andes, extending from 10° north to 20° south latitude, a region about two 

 thousand miles long, mostly on the eastern slopes, in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, 

 New Granada, and Venezuela, from 5,000 to 1 1 ,000 feet above the level of the 

 sea ; the best barks are produced where the temperature ranges from 54° to 

 68° Fahrenheit. The minimum height for the best barks is not below 5,000 

 feet. It grows well in similar heights and temperatures in India, where it 

 has been introduced and is under successful cultivation. It is also cultivated 

 in Ceylon and in Jamaica. 



Etymologij. — The generic name cinchona Avas given to this plant by 

 Linngeus, to honor the Countess of Chinchon, who while residing in Lima was 

 cured of a fever by the use of the bark. The specific names are derived as 

 follows : Officinalis signifies " useful," or " of the shops," and is derived 

 from the Latin word officina, a shop. Micrantha is from the Greek word 

 IxLKpbs, small, alluding to the size of the flower of this species. Calisaya, 

 which produces the "yellow bark" of commerce, has a history which is 

 somewhat obscure. Markham gives the following derivations: 1st, from 

 calla, a remedy, and sa/la, rocky, meaning a medicine growing among the 

 rocks. 2d, from ceali, strong, and sayay, become, meaning a medicine that 

 will strengthen the patient. 3d. In Caravaya is a family of caciques, by the 

 name of Calisaya, one of whom distinguished himself in the revolt of 1780- 

 1781, and it is suggested that this species was named to honor him. Succi 

 rubra is from succus, juice, aud rubra, red; hence, red-barked cinchona. 



History. — It is stated upon good authority that the aborigines were not 

 acquainted with its medicinal properties before the country was visited by 

 Europeans. Humboldt states that it is not upon the list of native remedies. 



There is a story as follows : A savage was taken ill with a fever in the 

 forest, near a pool of water, into which a number of cinchona trees had fallen, 

 whereby the water had been made bitter. He was offered some of this water, 

 as no other could be procured, and drinking, was speedily cured. Thus the 

 curative qualities of the bark were revealed. 



In 1638 Ana de Osoria, wife of the fourth count of Chinchon, viceroy of 

 Peru, lay dangerously ill with a tertian fever at Lima. When accounts of her 

 sickness reached Don Francisco Lopez de Canizares Corregidor of Loxa, he 

 sent the bark to her physician, Don Juan de Vega, who administered it to his 

 patient, aud thereby effected a speedy cure. 



The countess was so grateful for her recovery that she determined, on hei 

 return to Europe, two years later, to take with her a quantity of the powdered 

 bark, to be administered to the sufferers from chills and fever upon her hus 

 band's estate. From this circumstance it was called Countess Powder, and foi 

 a long time retained that name. De Vega, on returning to Spain, carried with 

 him large quantities, which he sold in Seville at 100 reals a pound. Linnseus 

 to honor the countess, named the tree cinchona, which was intended to bt 

 ''Chinchon," and the error in spelling has never been corrected. 



Another account relates that it was made known to the civilized worla 

 through a monk, who, lying at the point of death with a fever, received &, 

 decoction of the bark from the hands of a native medicine man, and was cured. 

 It is not improbable that both these accounts are correct, aud that the circum- 

 stances occurred as stated. The tree is a native of the tropical Andes, on a 

 chain of mountains in Peru. 



