January, 1910.] 



21 



DRUGS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



THE TOBA.CCO INDUSTRY. 



(From the Indian Agriculturist, Vol. 

 XXXIV., No. 11, November 1, 1909.) 

 The tobacco industry is somewhat 

 seriously handicapped in many parts of 

 India by the heat and dryness of the 

 climate, but those who had studied the 

 matter are well aware that excellent 

 tobacco can be grown in this country, 

 though the climatic conditions are hostile 

 to the curing of the weed. Good curing, 

 it is needless to say, is absolutely neces- 

 sary if a high class product is to be 

 obtained Another thing which mili- 

 tates against the production of really 

 good tobacco is that this crop, perhaps 

 more than any other, demands care, 

 skill and sound judgment on the part of 

 the producer to secure a marketable 

 leaf of good quality. Tobacco is not 

 only a difficult crop to grow ; it is also a 

 risky one unless all possible pi-ecautions 

 are taken. The plant is very sensitive 

 to the surroundings in which it is grown, 

 and its physical character is greatly 

 influenced by soil, climate, manures, and 

 the care or neglect which it receives at 

 the hands of the grower. Moreover, the 

 plant is very liable to the attacks of 

 certain insect pests and to fungus disease. 

 These considerations are brought out 

 prominently in an article on the Indian 

 tobacco trade which appears in the 

 latest issue of the Indian Trade Journal. 

 It is pointed out that Indian tobacco 

 is not only grown from inferior plants 

 but is cured in a very primitive style. 

 This crude stuff, however, seems to be 

 considered good enough for the manu- 

 facture of the native cigarette or biri 

 (sold at ten annas or less a thousand) and 

 for export to Burma to be mixed with 

 other tobacco and made into what is 

 known as the Burma cheroot. This, we 

 are informed, is at best a very rank sort 

 of cigar — an a&sertion that will very 

 possibly be disputed by those who have 

 acquired the taste for it. Indian tobacco, 

 on the whole, is not nearly up to the 

 standard required for export to European 

 countries, where there is a keen demand 

 for first-class leaf. The Indian Trade 

 Journal goes on to say that experiments 

 are now being carried out at Pusa with 

 various kinds of tobacco to discover the 

 best variety tor exploitation in this 

 country, and it is suggested that central 

 curing factories should be established 

 in certain tobacco tracts and controlled 

 by experts who have had long experience 

 in America, An undoubted demand 

 exists for properly cured Indian tobacco, 



and since the climate is hostile to good 

 curing, the best chance of securing a 

 good quality of leaf is to establish 

 properly equipped factories where the 

 conditions of heat and moisture neces- 

 sary for the curing process may be arti- 

 ficially produced, 



QUININE IN INDIA. 



(From the Chemist & Druggist, No. 



1, 552, Vol. LXXV., October 23, 1909.) 



The fact that a Malaria Conference 

 is now being held at Simla has excited 

 some interest on this side, and a report 

 has been current on the markets that 

 the Indian Government may possibly 

 sanction a general and free distribution 

 of quinine in the malarial districts ; 

 but we are afraid the report has been 

 circulated more as a "bull point" for 

 quinine than anything else, and that 

 the wish is father to the thought. As 

 throwing some light on the distribu- 

 tion of quiniue in India, we notice that 

 a recent number of the United Pro- 

 vince Gazette contains a resolution 

 signed by the Lieutenant-Governor of 

 the Punjab, which accepts the principle 

 that quinine should not be distributed 

 at the public expense, unless it is abso- 

 lutely necessary to combat a severe 

 epidemic of malaria. From past ex- 

 perience it is calculated that the 

 amount which could be distributed 

 among a million people would be from 

 25,000 oz. to 30,000 oz., not a very large 

 amount. This, it is presumed, is quinine 

 manufactured by the Indian Govern 

 ment. The above resolution also states 

 that "the Lieutenant-Governor ap- 

 proves the Committee's proposals to 

 increase the amount of quinine sold 

 for a pice (jd.) from 7 gr. to 9 gr." 

 Additions to agencies for the sale of 

 these packets are under consideration, 

 and arrangements have been made for 

 the experimental issue of the drug in 

 the tablet form, three tablets of three 

 grains each being contained in a packet. 

 It is quite possible that the larger the 

 sales the greater will be the loss to 

 the Government, considering that 9 

 grains is sold for a farthing, but the 

 inference seems to be that, whatever 

 the loss, the Government is anxious 

 to incur it in its efforts to encourage 

 the use of the drug as a prophylactic. 

 Recently several important changes 

 have been made by the Government 

 in order to effect economic distribution 

 of quinine, the chief being the concen- 

 tration of the " putting-up " of packets 



