Peruvian-bark Tress and their Transplantation. 457 



Aricina . . A yellow colouring matter. 

 Qainidia . . A green fatty matter. 



Ghinclionidia . Starch. 

 Quinic acid . Gam. 



Tannic acid . Lignin. 



Quinine is a white substance, without smell, bitter, fusible, 

 crystallized, with the property of left-handed rotatory polariza- 

 tion. The salts of quinine are soluble in water, alcohol, and 

 ether. Chinchonidine differs from quinine in being less soluble 

 in water, altogether insoluble in ether, and having the property 

 of right-handed rotatory polarization, agreeing in the latter re- 

 spect with quininine, a substance which forms salts like those of 

 quinine, and becomes green by successive additions of chlorine 

 and ammonia. In this changing of colour it differs essentially 

 from chinchonidine, which has not the property of turning green, 

 and forms a sulphate almost exactly like that of quinine. 



In many distant parts quinine is equal in value to gold, and 

 there is hardly a chemist of eminence who has not tried his 

 hand at producing these alkaloids artificially. We have of 

 late years obtained so many wonderful results in the laboratory 

 that we should not treat their endeavours as aiming at any 

 thing beyond their reach. There is just a possibility that one 

 day the dreams of alchemists may be realized by the baser 

 metals being converted into gold, and the artificial production 

 of quinine ranks in the same category. But these alkaloids are 

 such complex atoms that there is very little probability of their 

 ever being obtained from any sources save Nature' s own work- 

 shop. Such being the present; aspect of this question, it becomes 

 a matter of the highest interest to mankind that the even flow 

 of their source should not be interrupted. 



The genus Ghinchona of Linnaeus belongs to the Chinchon- 

 aceaa, the same natural order which embraces the Coffee, 

 Ipecacuanha, and many other important productions. All the 

 species, and there are a great number, are either trees or large 

 shrubs, and their general aspect may be compared to our beech, 

 whilst a flowering branch might be likened to that of a lilac. 

 The bark is smooth, or in the older trees more or less rugged, 

 often covered with various lichens, which at one time were 

 thought to be excellent marks for distinguishing the different 

 sorts of barks, but which are now accounted of little value in 

 pharmacological determination. The wood is at first white, but 

 afterwards assumes a yellowish tinge ; it is of beautiful grain, 

 and takes a ready polish. The leaves are opposite, entire, 

 either glabrous, or more or less covered with hair, and on the 

 under side, in the axils of the veins, either covered with 

 serobiculoe or destitute of them. A theory had gained ground 

 that the absence of these serobiculoe proved the worthlessness 



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