EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. 
121 
correct. It represents certain tracts of country as mountainous, and as covered with 
Cinchona forests, while in reality they are hot arenaceous plants, or savannas covered 
with low spreading leguminous trees, where no Cinchona ever grew. Karsten states 
that the bark is not taken from, the roots of the C. lancifolia , which, in most instances, 
is true ; but this is not the case with that of Pitayo, the bark from the roots of which 
is much more valuable than that from the trunks or branches. Further he asserts that 
the C. lancifolia is never likely to become scarce, and that the continual cutting of the 
Cinchona trees will rather augment than diminish the number of plants ; and this may 
be true concerning his C. lancifolia , about which no one cares much, as the yield of 
quinine is often too small to cover the expense of collecting ; but as regards the Pitayo 
bark there is one thing very certain, that at the present time there is more difficulty in 
collecting 1 lb. than there was formerly in collecting 1 cwt. The Pitayo bark will very 
probably be found the best of all the species for cultivation, as it is said to grow very 
rapidly, which is a matter of great importance. It may certainly be barked when it is 
C feet high, although it would not be an advisable practice to do so before the trees are 
at least 30 feet high. Bark taken from large trees in Pitayo was said to give nearly 4 
per cent., while bark taken from the roots of the same trees gave 5 per cent, of quinine. 
All the bark taken from Pitayo is said to be sent to France. The bark sold in England 
under that name is not true Pitayo bark, but comes from the mountains which border 
on the valley of the Magdalena, and from Alinaquer and Pasto, and is certainly from 
the C. lancifolia of Karsten, which as regards quality is very inferior to that of Pitayo. 
True Pitayo bark may be known in England by not being much thicker than common 
window-glass—because it is all taken from small plants, the large trees having been 
destroyed long ago, and by its being full of earthy particles, on account of so much 
bark being taken from the roots of the plants. Professor Jamieson, of Quito, analysed 
the Pitayo bark, and found it to contain 3*2 per cent, of quinine. There is, therefore, 
little doubt that this species, and the Cinchona officinalis of Loxa, will prove among the 
best for cultivation. The climate is like that of Loxa, and even the vegetation of 
both regions bears a close resemblance to each other. Don Narcso Lorenzano re¬ 
marks that the principal motive which induced the Government of India to commence 
Cinchona cultivation, after overcoming so many difficulties, was the fear that the 
Quina trees would be extirpated in consequence of the waste that is allowed in the 
woods, where they are destroyed by the barbarous method of pulling up the roots. 
Fortunately this destructive method, which, without any doubt, would extirpate this 
precious plant in a few years, is only practised in the forests of Pitayo, where it is due 
to the immoderate desire for making money wffiich has taken possession of the Indians, 
who own the greater part of the land. But in none of the other establishments for 
the collection of bark in New Granada has a similar practice been adopted. On the 
contrary, beneficial rules are observed for the conservancy of the woods. The method 
consists in leaving a part of the trunk, about 3 feet in height, whence shoots may 
sprout, and in clearing away the surrounding trees to enable the rays of the sun to 
penetrate. By this means most of the trees that are cut down quickly shoot up, and, 
the rays of the sun penetrating to the cleared ground, the seeds which fall from the 
trees germinate freely. This result gives us full confidence that the good kinds of 
quinas which exist in this country will be permanently preserved.— Gardeners’ Chronicle. 
EXTRACTS FROM MINUTES OF EVIDENCE GIVEN BEFORE THE 
SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS BILL. 
Dr. Alfred Swaine Taylor, examined. 
(Continued from page 72.) 
98. Now, with reference to the dispensing of drugs in France, are you aware.whe¬ 
ther every person who dispenses medicine, not poisons, must undergo an examination? 
—Or must be a certified man. I wrote a prescription in a French town, and I found 
it had to go to a particular shop to be made up. In France they generally allow the 
sale of ordinary drugs which are of an innocent nature, at shops of epiciers, grocers, and 
VOL. VII. X 
