724 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March 15, 1873, 
made with the entire bark, and with the various 
layers of the same bark separated. The ammonia 
was removed in the cold, and estimated according to 
Schloesing’s method. One hundred parts of bark 
yielded— 
Entire External Intermediate Internal 
bark. layer. layer. layer. 
Succirubra . . traces . . traces . . traces . . traces. 
Calisaya .... 0-016 . . 0 012 . . 0-012 . . 0 016. 
Huanuco . . . 0-048 . . 0-049 . . „ . . 0'028. 
Calisaya leaves O'Ool . . „ . . „ . . ,, 
This table shows that the barks richest in alkaloids 
are least charged with ammoniacal salts. The rela¬ 
tion between the quantities of those salts existing 
in the external and internal layers is not constant. 
The only conclusion which can be drawn is that the 
organs which contain the most ammonia are .the 
richest in tannin and the youngest, provided, how¬ 
ever, that the grey cinchonas are the younger 
brandies from the same trees as produce the yellow 
bark. However this may be, the leaves contain a 
much more notable proportion of the volatile alkali, 
whilst they rarely yield any traces of the alkaloids. 
Analysis of the Ash .—Another point in the history 
of cinchonas that appears to have been neglected is 
the analysis of the ash. This w T ould appear to be 
important, because most of these mineral principles 
pass into the greater part of the preparations of 
cinchona, carrying with them their characteristic 
action, which is thus added to those of the organic 
principles, and also because of the part they play in 
the growth of the cinchona plant. The effects of 
temperature, altitude, and the action of light upon 
the growth of the plant have been studied, but the 
nature of the soil, and the improvements which may 
be made in it, have hitherto been somewhat ne¬ 
glected.* The study of the ash might enlighten the 
cultivator upon this point and lead to the collection 
of a richer product. 
Three officinal species of cinchona barks were 
chosen for experiments : the grey huanuco, the yel¬ 
low calisaya, and the red succirubra, two specimens 
of each species being used for greater certainty. 
The results were obtained in each case with from 4 
to 6 grams of ash arising from the combustion of 
30(3 or 400 grams of bark.f The quantities of ash 
indicated in the following table are the residues of 
100 grams of cinchona. 
Huanuco Calisaya Succirubra 
bark. bark. bark. 
Ash. 1-831 1-885 . . l-a50~~"r36T . . 1-402^1741. 
Insoluble Silica. . 0-263 0741 . . 0-023 0-032 . . 0'020 0-031 
Soluble Silica . . . 0-041 0-047 . . 0-024 0-031 . . 0'025 0-018* 
Alumina. 0-061 0-050 . . 0-030 0-020 . . 0‘062 0-052* 
Hon. 0-061 0-042 . . 0-065 0-049 . . 0-053 0-070* 
Manganese .... 0-048 0-026 . . 0’027 0-032 . . 0-042 0-0°5* 
Lime. 0-376 0'383 . . 0-382 0-379 . . 0-546 0-720* 
Magnesia. 0-034 0-034 . . 0-016 0'031 . . 0-021 0-018* 
Potash. 0-429 0-540 . . 0'340 0-252 . . 0-215 0-298* 
Soda.0-0S1 0-069 . . 0'041 0-052 . . 0 048 0'034* 
Copper.traces traces. . traces traces . traces trace’s 
Carbonic acid . . . 0-309 0 318 . . 0‘333 0-345 . . 0 289 0-291 * 
Sulphuric acid . . 0-027 0 034 . . 0-036 0-038 . ’. 0’035 0-034* 
Phosporic acid . . 0‘074 0-053 . . 0-048 0-067 . . 0-045 0 042* 
Chlorine. 0 015 0 009 . . 0'008 0 010 . . 0-014 0-012* 
* See, however, an article in the present volume of the 
Pharmaceutical Journal, p. 521 .—Ed. Pharm. Journ 
t When some cinchona barks are burned, especially the 
yellow cinchona, a rather agreeable odour is given off, which 
is not met with in the less esteemed species. It is due to the 
decomposition of quinine and quinovic acids into benzoic 
acid, salicylic aldehyde, etc. It appears to be more manifest 
in proportion as the bark is rich in quinine, or rather, qui- 
nate of quinine. 5 1 
A glance at this table will show that iron, man¬ 
ganese, and lime (united with the phosphoric acid), 
are present in notable proportions. These various 
principles are, it should he remarked, found in .the 
infusions, decoctions, extracts and wines of cin¬ 
chona, where their presence by the side of tannin 
and the salts of quinine is not a matter of indif¬ 
ference. In order to detect the copper, it is neces¬ 
sary to ignite the carbon as completely as possible, 
and it is advisable to carry on the operation in the 
muffle of a cupelle furnace. The proportion of 
copper is so small that there is no fear of its poi¬ 
sonous effects. M. Sarzeaud estimated that cin¬ 
chona contained one-five-hundred-thousandth part. 
Considering the statement long since made by 
Fourcroy, that cinchona harks were rich in chlorides, 
the proportion of chlorine given in the above table 
might appear small, but probably his experiments 
were made with specimens which had been injured 
in their transport. 
It lias also been said that the barks richest in 
quinine were generally those which abounded in 
lime salts. The foregoing figures tend to demon¬ 
strate, the contrary, for the proportion of lime is the 
same in huanuco and calisaya barks and higher in 
the succirubra. 
ACTION OF VARIOUS SUBSTANCES AS ANTIFER¬ 
MENTS. * 
BY M. A. PETIT. 
The importance, in a medical point of view, of the 
recent communications of M. Dumas and MM. 
Rabuteau and Papillon relative to the action of 
borate of soda f- and silicate of soda upon ferments 
has induced M. Petit to repeat the experiments; and 
as a result he reports that he has not found those 
substances to be possessed of peculiar properties 
as antiferments. 
The solutions-operated upon contained 50 grams of 
cane sugar per litre, and a sufficiency of ferment 
(0'50 gram of German yeast per 10 c.c.) to set up 
regular fermentation in a few minutes. A solution 
containing one per cent, of silicate of soda was 
coloured yellow through the alkaline action of the 
silicate upon the yeast. Fermentation did not com¬ 
mence for an hour; but once commenced it was 
rapid and regular. One per cent, solution of borate 
of soda fermented as rapidly as the saccharine liquor 
itself. 
A solution of sulphate of protoxide of iron (1 to 
100) _ fermented slowly, but regularly. A similar 
solution of sulphate of copper commenced to ferment, 
but the fermentation afterwards stopped. In ex¬ 
periments made under the same conditions with 
phosphorus, oil of turpentine (1 to 100), creasote in 
small proportions, mustard flour (1 to 100), and sul¬ 
phuric and tartaric acids (1 to 100), fermentation was 
not hindered. 
Arsenious acid in solution (1 to 100) retarded the 
fermentation, which, however, continued veryregular. 
Oxalic acid (1 to 300) slackened it very considerably. 
In equal quantities acetic acid seemed to be more 
antifermentive than the mineral acids. 
The bodies which appeared to he the most anti¬ 
fermentive were the bichloride and especially the 
binoxide of mercury. A solution of one per cent, 
of sublimate agitated with the yeast, gave no preci- 
* ‘ Journ il c!e Plmimahe et de Chiruie/ vol. xiii. p. 119. 
f See ante, p. 565. 
