522 



HISTORY OP THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



experienced its efficacy. Cardinal de Lago, a 

 benevolent Italian ecclesiastic, also brought a 

 large quantity of the powder to Rome, and dis- 

 tributed it among the poor 



The bark is brought to this country in pieces 

 of various sizes, some rolled up into short thick 

 quills, and others flat ; the outside is brown, and 

 generally partially covered with a whitish moss ; 

 the inside is of a yellowish, reddish, or rusty 

 iron colour. The best sort breaks close and 

 smooth, and proves friable between the teeth ; 

 the inferior kinds appear, when broken, of a 

 woody texture, and in chewing, separate into 

 fibres. The former pulverizes more easily than 

 the latter, and looks, when powdered, of a light 

 brownish colour, resembling cinnamon, or some- 

 what paler. It has a slight smell, approaching 

 somewhat to mustiness ; yet, with a degree of 

 aromatic flavour which renders it not disagree- 

 able. Its taste is very bitter, astringent, durable 

 in the mouth, and accompanied with some 

 degree of aromatic warmth, but not suflBicient to 

 prevent its being ungrateful. 



There are three kinds known in commerce, 

 the pale, yellow, and red. 



Pale Bark. Of this kind there are several 

 varieties, the most remarkable of which are the 

 quilled bark, which comes from Lixa, and the 

 flat bark from Guanaco. That which comes 

 from Lixa consists of thin singly or doubly 

 roUed pieces, four or five inches long, and scarcely 

 a line in thickness ; externally rough, of a gray- 

 ish brown colour, and generally covered with a 

 kind of lichen, internally of a cinnamon colour ; 

 its fracture not fibrous and powdery, but even 

 and shining. It has a pleasant bitter astringent 

 taste, and a peculiar aromatic smell. The bark 

 which comes from Guanaco, consists of much 

 thicker, coarser, and flatter pieces, externally of 

 a dark bro^vn or almost black colour, though 

 internally of a cinnamon colour, and in its resin- 

 ous fi'acture, smell, and taste, it exactly resem- 

 bles the former. When genuine, both varieties 

 are excellent remedies, although the former are 

 generally preferred on the Continent, and the 

 latter in Britain. 



Yellow Bark. This consists of pieces about 

 six inches in length, thicker, and less rolled up 

 than the common bark. Its internal surface is 

 of a deeper red. It sometimes wants the epider- 

 mis, which is often as thick as the bark itself. 

 It is lighter and more friable than the foi-mer 

 variety ; its fracture is fibrous, and when reduced 

 to powder, its colour is paler. Its taste is much 

 more bitter, astringent, and stronger, but its 

 smeU is \yeaker. Its decoction, when hot, is 

 redder, but when cold, paler. Its solution strikes 

 a deeper colour with sulphate of iron. It con- 

 tains more of the active constituents, but less 

 gum than the common, and less resin than the 

 red. Its medicinal effects are said to be much 



more powerful than the others ; and, according 

 to Humboldt, it is most esteemed at Lixa, and 

 known by the name of cascarilla fina. 



Red Bark occurs generally in larger, thicker, 

 and flatter pieces, but sometimes also in the form 

 of quills. It is heavy, firm, sound, and dry, 

 friable between the teeth, does not separate into 

 fibres, and breaks not shivery, but short, close, 

 and smooth. It has three layers, the outer is 

 rugged, of a reddish brown colour, but fre- 

 quently covered with mossy matter. The middle 

 is thicker, more compact, darker coloured, very 

 resinous, and brittle, the inmost is more woody, 

 fibrous, and of a brighter red. Its powder is of 

 a dark red colour, its astringency and bitterness 

 more intense, and its resinous properties gTeater, 

 than that of the pale bark. According to Hum- 

 boldt, from 12,000 to 14,000 quintals of bark are 

 annually exported from Peru ; 2000 are exported 

 from Carthagena, and come from the kingdom 

 of Santa Fe ; Lixa furnished, previous to 1779, 

 10,000 quintals, but now only 110, which are 

 sent to Spain on account of the king. The rest 

 is furnished by the provinces of Huamunga, 

 Cuenco, and Jaen de Bracamorros, and are 

 exported from Lima and other parts of the Paci- 

 fic ocean. 



The powder of the bark at first acquired its 

 reputation for the cure of ague or intermittent 

 fever, and it has retained its reputation ever 

 since. At first many prejudices were raised 

 against it, but these gradually gave way to 

 repeated facts, and the test of experience. Given 

 at the very commencement of the disease, after 

 the stomach and bowels have been cleared by 

 some purgative, and repeated in successive doses, 

 it is the only remedy now to be depended upon, 

 and rarely fails of producing a cure. It is thus 

 to be continued till the peculiar paroxysms of 

 the disease go off, and till the natural appetite 

 and strength return. It is then to be gradually 

 left off, repeating it in smaller quantities occa- 

 sionally, to prevent any symptoms of a relapse. 

 Besides intermittents, it is used in other diseases 

 which have a periodical return, and all those 

 affections which indicate impaired nervous influ- 

 ence, or loss of tone of the animal fibre. The 

 bark itself is not, however, now administered in 

 almost any form,5'MMw'«e,orthe active agent, being 

 extracted from the bark by a peculiar process, 

 and now substituted as a medicine. This is a 

 light white powder without smell, but possess- 

 ing an intensely bitter taste, and reckoned by 

 chemists of an alkaline nature. Its small bulk, 

 and the readiness by which it can be dissolved 

 in water or acids, and its producing no sickness 

 or irritation of the stomach, are all recommenda- 

 tions to its substitution in place of the common 

 powder of bark. On the whole, the virtues of 

 Peruvian bark are of the most valuable and 

 powerful kind, and it forms one of the most 



