344 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
another, as it appeared to confirm, in some degree at least, the theory which Mr. 
Howard had first propounded when treating of u Red bark ” in his valuable and 
beautiful work, entitled ‘ Illustrations of the Nueva Quinologia,’ and which re¬ 
lated to the formation of, and changes in the nature of the alkaloids in 
different parts of the plant, and their continual diminution in amount in 
the bark after it had arrived at a certain age. As the views of Mr. Howard 
were probably but little known to most of those present, Professor Bentley 
hoped it would not be considered out of place if he briefly explained them. 
Mr. Howard believed that there existed in the heart-wood of the plant 
a peculiar matter, which he had termed the mother-substance, and that this 
was carried up by the sap, in the course of its circulation, to the leaves, 
where the production of alkaloids first commenced by a reaction taking 
place between it and the nitrogen, which De Yry had shown to exist in them 
and other parts of the plant. This formation of alkaloids thus commenced in 
the leaves, Mr. Howard believed, was continued in the bark, and maintained 
up to a certain period of its age, after which the bark deteriorated in value, 
Professor Bentley hoped that Mr. Howard would continue to investigate this 
subject, but at present, we knew so little of the chemistry of vegetation, and 
the changes produced in the sap at different periods of its course, that it would 
be impossible to arrive at any positive conclusions upon the matter. 
Independently of the great interest attached to the inquiry in a scientific point 
of view, it was also of immense importance, commercially and economically, as 
should Mr. Howard’s views be correct, it would prove that no advantage would be 
gained by allowing the plants to arrive at too great an age before using their bark, 
as had been commonly supposed hitherto ; but that the best period would 
be at a comparatively early period of their life. What that period should be it 
was impossible at present to say, but it had important bearings upon the culti¬ 
vation of cinchonas in India, etc., which could not succeed commercially, if the 
plants were to be allowed to grow to a large size before using their bark for 
medicinal purposes, and for the extraction of the contained alkaloids. 
Mr. Daniel II anbury said that the only parallel which he could now remember 
to the results obtained by Mr. Howard, as narrated in the paper just read, were 
those of Dr. De Yry, who was so well known in connection with cinchona cul¬ 
tivation in Java. He had, like Mr. Howard, found the root-bark of cinchona 
to yield a comparatively small proportion of alkaloids. Had Mr. Howard isolated 
the mother-substance which he alluded to in his paper? 
Dr. Attfield, said he should be glad to know if Mr. Hownrd had made any 
experiments with a view of artificially introducing the so-called mother-sub¬ 
stance into ammonia. Some light might thus be thrown on the constitution of 
the cinchona alkaloids, and upon their relations to each other. 
Professor Bentley, in reply to Mr. Hanbury and Dr. Attfield, stated that 
Mr. Howard had particularly referred to this mother-substance in his 4 Illus¬ 
trations of the Nueva Quinologia,’ and in a letter to the Editor of Seemann’s 
4 Journal of Botany.’^ (See also Pharm. Journ. vol. v. p. 75.) 
Mr. Waugh inquired if there would be any sensible difference between a 
decoction of root-bark and one of the best Calisaya bark ; was it possible to be 
deceived ? 
Dr. Redwood said that there would be no sensible differences in the two 
decoctions ; and this remark applied not only to the mixture of root-bark 
with that of true Calisaya, but also to other substitutions for, and adultera- 
* Mr. Howard has since informed us, that he has isolated the mother-substance, and had it 
carefully analysed by Mr. Morland, when it gave apparently the same result as the kinovic acid 
of Schwartz. He also states that he is at present investigating the green colouring-matter of 
the leaves, and endeavouring to gather up more light on the whole subject.—II. 13. 
