226 



on the Government plantations. The other plan is the one in use by 

 the Government of India, whose humane policy all along has been to 

 put it in the power of the poorest natives to buy quinine in their need. 



The bark that could be at once harvested amounts to 40,000 lbs. 

 But in order to keep up a constant supply only half of this amount 

 should be taken every year, viz. 20,000 lbs. 



The cost in 1887 of barking, drying and carriage to Kingston from 

 the plantation was a trifle over 3d per lb. The freight was about l^d. 

 per lb. So that the bark should realise at least 5d. per lb. to avoid 

 loss. 



In tbe present state of the market it would be a risk to harvest 

 bark and send it to London. 



In estimating whether the Government would recoup their expen- 

 diture, if a factory for the manufacture of quinine were started, there 

 aire several points to consider, viz.: annual expenses of a factory, what 

 amount of quinine must be manufactured to avoid loss, could the Gov- 

 ernment dispose of this amount of quinine, could the plantation supply 

 the amount of bark required. 



As to the factory, 1 consulted Mr. Francis Watts, whilst he was 

 still Government Chemist here, and he calculated roughly that it would 

 take £1,200 per annum to run a factory, this sum including salary of 

 managing Chemist, interest and sinking fund for buildings, chemicals, 

 labourers in factory, etc. 



To estimate the amount of quinine that must be sold to cover this 

 expenditure it is advisable to take the lowest figure to which quinine 

 would ever be likely to fall in the future, and probably it would not be 

 safe to put that higher than at Is. per ounce. To balance the expenditure 

 of £1,200 therefore it would be necessary to sell annually ^4,000 ounces 

 at Is. per ounce. 



The Medical Department in Jamaica only used 3,761 oz., in 1898 

 or about one-sixth of the total that must be sold. 



The plantation could at the present time supply 20,0001bs. of bark, 

 which ought to yield 10,000 ounces of sulphate of quinine. It is very 

 doubtful whether the planters could supply the deficiency now to the 

 full extent, but if there were a demand for bark, no doubt both Govern- 

 ment and planters would extend their plantations as they are doing in 

 India. 



These calculations all depend on the price at which the quinine 

 could be sold, and a3 quinine has risen and is likely to remain at a 

 much higher figure than last year, the basis of calculation is perhaps 

 taken too low. 



If a factory turns out only 10,000 ounces per annum, and costs 

 £1,200 per annum to run it, the price per ounce should be 2/5 in order 

 to avoid loss. 



It must be remembered however that the success of a factory de- 

 pends quite as much on the amount of the manufactured article turned 

 out, as on the price received for it. At the Ootacamund factory 2341bs. 

 of quinine were made in 1889-90, 1,356 lbs., in 1890-91, 3,344 lbs., 



