(396 
THE TROPICAL AGKICULTUmST. [April 2, I96o. 
QUININE. 
Mr. Martin mentioned the labours of Richard 
Spence, Pritoliett, John Weir, Robert Croas, Charles 
Ledger, De Vrij, and others who were pioneers in the 
establishment of cinchoua-culvation in Java, India 
imd Ceylon. He then called attention to the snperior 
quality of the Ledc/erina variety of Cinchona C'alisaya, 
which yields from '9tolO-5 per cent of quinine,* with 
lO^to IIJ per cent of total alkaloids. 
The cultivation of cinchona in India, and the prepara- 
tion and sale of cinchona febrifuge there, were next 
referred to, the methods of cultivation also being 
briefly noted. From this the author proceeded to 
mention the principal facts in respect to the dis- 
covery of quinine and other cinchona alkaloids, and 
described some of the methods for manufacturing 
quinine which had been published. He then sub- 
mitted the following Short descriptions of salts of 
quinine ; — 
Acetate. — Rather more soluble in water than sul- 
phate. 
A.KSENIATE AND AusENiTE — Recommended by some 
doctors as more powerfully antiperiodic than the other 
salts ; contains twenty-nine per cent arsenious acid, 
and 69'4 per cent quinine, 
BiTAETiUTE. — Sparingly soluble in water, and has, 
therefore, little taste. In a number of prescriptions 
by a West-end physician I observed quinine sulphate 
nnd citric acid frequently prescribed ; one day I 
questioned him as to why, when he told me that it 
was the most useful salt of quinine to administer to 
patients having a tendency to acidity. 
Febrocyanide. — Said to be most efficacious. 
Hydkiodidk. — Alterative, tonic and antiperiodic, 
used in scrofulous affections. 
Hyduoidide, Acid. — Soluble 1 in 20. 
Lactate.— Soluble 1 in 29 ; used for hypodermic 
injections. 
Hydrobuomide. — Excess of hydrobromic acid given 
to lessen cinchonism sometimes caused by large 
doses ; contains 76'6 per cent. 
Hydhobbomide, Acid. — Well adapted for hypoder- 
mic injection. 
Hydrochloride.- -Richer in alkaloid than sulphate 
(81'8 per cent) ; antiseptic; powerful germicide, 1 in 
800 stopping growth. 
Hydrochloride, Acid. — Most soluble salt of quinine 
(1 in 1) ; contains 72 per cent. 
HyDRocHLOEosuLPHAtB;— 74'3 per cent alkaloid. 
Hydrochlorocarbamide. — Urea quinine ; not rich 
in alkaloid 
Phosphate. — For rickets associated with stomach- 
affections ; contains 76 2 per cent. 
Salicylate.- — Contains 70'I per cent alkaloid : use- 
ful in rheumatic gout. 
Sulphate. — This salt is the most used of any ; 
contains 73 5 per cent alk^-loid ; wherever quinine is 
ordered by the physician it is universally understood 
to mean this salt. 
Sulphate, j^cid. — Soluble 1 in 11 water, and con- 
tains 59'1 per cent alkaloid only. 
Tannate. — Useful for intermittent neuralgia ; only 
20 per cent alkaloid in it ; almost tasteless, and covered 
with chocolate, is given to children. 
Tartrate. — Used in India for hypodermic injection. 
Valerianate. — is of no special value for the antis- 
pasmodic purposes for which some give it ; contains 73 
pel cent alkaloid. 
* This is incorrect ; the following are some of the 
percentages in Ledgeriana bark offered at the last 
cinchona auctions at Amsterdam, the figures repre- 
senting quinine sulphate 2-3, 31, 4-1, .5-2, 6 2, 7'3, 8-6, 
and 10'6, witW many percentages between these figures. 
Occasionally a bairk yielding as much as 12 per cent 
of qiinihe sul'ph'ate comes into the mal:ket, but the 
assumption that Ledgeriana. bark yields a minimum of 
!) per cent is erroneous : the average is about 5 per 
cent, and the' highest known 14-5. It is particularly 
to be noted that these percentages do not refer to the 
alkaloid quinine, but to quinine sulphate of the British 
and other PharmacopcBias. Most materia medica text- 
books fall into the same error as the writer of this 
paper. — Ed.i C, md D, 
Finally the physiological action of the alkaloid was 
discnased, and some reference made to the prices that 
had Deen paid, the highest since 1874, when quinine 
sulphate was Qs per oz, being 16s 6d in 1881, and the 
lowest 8jd for the German sulphate. 
Mr. Iiymans, in opening the discussion, said he 
thought it curiju= that :irtiii.:ial quiuiue had never 
been .'^ynthesi'ied e.\:cept from cinchotiidiue, although 
all kinds of ways had been trieJ. With reference to 
the dose of quinine sulphate, he mentioned that the 
one usually taken in the tropics was much higher than 
that in Engand, 10-gr. doses being quite usual. — 
Chemist and JJriujgist, Feb. 17. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Try Kashgar. — In his very interesting and instruc- 
tive book, "Innermost Asia; Travel and Sport in the 
Pamirs," just published by Mr. Ileinemann. Captain 
Cobbold has something lo say about trade with 
Kashgaria which will interest tea planters. The 
Government might do much to facilitate British'and 
Anglo-Indian trade with Kashgar, the commercial 
centre of innermost Asia. Only removable obstacles 
stand between tea planters of India and an enor- 
rnous market in innermost Asia. The British acquisi- 
tion of Chitral gives the Indian Government an 
opportunity of establishing commercial routes easily 
and speedily traversible. 
Tea in Bond,— At a recent meeting of the Grodera, 
Provision Dealers, and Oilmen's Association, a letter 
was read from a member asking whether, in the 
event of there being any increase of the tea dtity, 
such increase would be charged on any duty-paid 
tea lying in bonded warehouses at the time. In the 
course of the discussion it was stated that Messrs. 
Densham Brothers had received a letter from Mr. 
R. T. Prowse, secretary to the Customs, statihg'that 
" the Board feel bound t6 vt-ithhold assent to the 
retentioh of tea in bond after duty has been paid 
on it. . . . It is quite intended to exercise all the 
powers we may find ourselves to be possessed of to 
prevent the wholesale retention of duty-paid stock 
in bonded warehouses." It was resolved to call the 
attention of every member of the Association to the 
importance of bearing in mind that this decision of 
the Customs applied, of course, to all dutiable 
articles. The following is the correspondence re- 
ferred to : — 
Letter to the Mazawattee Tea Company : 
" Office Inspector, Customs, London, Febttiary 14, 
1900.— Gentlemen,— With reference to a recent large 
payment of duty on tea, by you, it bas been re- 
ported that on the 6th inst. there still remained 
11,460 packages of tea in various duty-paid ware- 
houses in London, of which delivery had not been 
taken, although duty had been paid. I am desired 
by the Commissioners of Customs to ascertain from 
you wliat steps are being taken for the withdrawal 
of these packages from bonded prerriises with' aa 
little delay as possible. — 1 am, ' gentlemen, your 
obedient servant, (feigned) J. Fleming, Office In 
spector." 
"Bastcheap, E.G., February 15, 1900.— 
Dear Sir, — We are in receipt of your letter of 
yesterday's date, and in reply beg to state that we 
have spared no effort to, keep strictly to the regula- 
tions which your Board enforces. Immediately on 
payment of our big cheque steps were taken by ns 
to clear out of the bonded warehouses without 
delay the various parcels represented by our payment, 
and up to the date mentioned by yon — viz,, February 
6— we had rembVed nearly 45,000 packages, of four- 
fifths of the bulk. Had it not been fbr the excep- 
tionally severe weather the whdle Of thfe tea would 
have been cleared. We feel sure that you will 
realise the magnitude of the task impbsed by your 
regulations of clearing over five million pounds of 
tea from bond, within a few weeks. — We are, dear 
sir, yours faithfully, The Mazawattee Tea' Company, 
Limited."— Zf. md C. Mail, Feb. 23. 
