March 9,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
727 
•.met* with the Ainartlla del Rey (as well as the Colorado, 
del Rey), once celebrated Loxa harks. These seem quite 
.•as good (chemically viewed) as their originals in South 
America, and might easily be so gathered as to please 
the eye of the druggists here. In the meantime I can 
-■entirely confirm the opinion expressed by Mr. Broughton, 
that this sort (the officinalis in its varieties) is “especially 
suited for export to Europe” for the purposes of quinine 
manufacture. I must also add that these barks arc now 
required to fill up the vacancy occasioned by the cessation 
■of the supply of the true Loxa, or crown barks. The 
cessation, if not absolute , is practically complete, and is 
supplemented by the importation of miserable products 
via Guayaquil. 
The species standing third in importance, according to 
the report, is that of C. calisaya, of which the'No. 5 form 
..appears to be the one to be encouraged. Considering the 
.acknowledged superiority of these barks in South 
America, it must occur that there is something yet to 
he learned about them in India, causing them to take a 
higher place than the third rank. The No. 5 form is 
not improbably the one found by Don. P. Pada, in the 
^ast of Bolivia, and described by me in the ‘Journal of 
Botany’ in 1869. In that case it would form trees of 
from 120 to 150 feet in height, and still produce bark of 
fine quality. The analysis of Mr. Broughton shows a 
wery promising kind. 
It will be needful to guard the cultivators against the 
inferior sorts, which (however they may be arranged 
Botanically) will assuredly disappoint their expectations. 
I am glad to notice that the grey bark trees, or the 
C. micrantha and C. Peruviana, f have been, to some ex¬ 
tent, encouraged by Government, as these trees furnish 
■cinchonine in abundance and of a good quality; and 
this alkaloid is increasing so much in consumption that 
it will some day become important to have a readily 
available source to depend upon for its supply. 
The Pitayo trees, of which there exists now a complete 
•collection at Ootacamund (through the last mission of 
Cross), should, I think, be encouraged, as they not only 
furnish a good material for the extraction of quinine, 
But also of quinidine, which is coming into favour in 
.•some quarters. 
In conclusion, I wish to add some remarks to dispel 
the fears which seem to be entertained by cultivators, 
that an excessive supply from India will so glut the 
market as to cause the prices to fall too low to be re¬ 
munerative. I do not see any reason to fear this with 
.reference to really good barks, which must always repay 
well the expense bestowed on their cultivation. There 
us no medicine in the world to rival quinine in its efficacy 
•and in the extent of its consumption, and there is no 
probability that any artificially-formed product will ever 
take its place. 
Then, as to the South American forests, it is clear 
that these cannot compete with skilfully cultivated 
plantations in India. The very cost of transport, if 
nothing else, would hinder this. 
It remains that the planters should not over supply 
the demands of the world; this, indeed, is a possibility. 
But one so remote that it may be dismissed from all 
thought for at least the present generation, and the 
range of altitude above the sea-level and of climate under 
which the cinchona can be profitably grown are at best 
■extremely limited, as Mr. Broughton’s reports abundantly 
.show, and it will be found eventually that the really 
productive plantations are not too numerous for profit. 
ACTION OF SUNLIGHT ON OLIVE OIL. 
BY LUIGI MOSCHINI.J 
Olive oil, in its natural state, contains in solution a 
yellowish substance which, when the oil is treated with 
.acids or with caustic soda, gives rise to the well-known 
* In importations from India. f Also C. nitida. 
I Gazzetta chimica Italiana, i. 580. 
greenish coloration. By exposure to sunshine this co¬ 
louring matter is essentially altered, the oil being 
thereby decolorized and no longer exhibiting a greenish 
colour when treated with the reagents above mentioned. 
Moreover, other changes take place at the same time in 
the constituents of the oil, the olein in particular being 
greatly altered, and acquiring the fundamental property 
ot elaidin, namely, that of not solidifying in contact with 
nitrate of mercury mixed with nitrous products. At the 
same time free acids are formed, and the oil acquires a 
rancid taste and odour. 
From these results it appears that the method, sug¬ 
gested by some authors, of distinguishing olive oil from 
other oils by means of sulphuric acid, caustic soda and 
nitrate of mercury, can be depended upon only when 
the oil is in its natural state, not altered by exposure to 
sunshine.— Journal of the Chemical Society. 
NOTE ON A NEW SCOTCH ACIDULOUS CHALY¬ 
BEATE MINERAL WATER. 
BY JAMES DEWAlt, F.R.S.E. 
It is generally known that this country is extremely 
deficient in well-marked chalybeate waters. Plenty of 
natural waters, containing small proportions of iron, are 
to be met with in the United Kingdom ; but, with the 
exception of those of Tunbridge Wells, Harrogate, 
Sandrock (Isle of Wight), Heartfell, near Moffat, and 
Vicarsbridge, in the vicinity of Dollar, they contrast very 
unfavourably with those of the numerous spas of the 
continent of Europe. If we restrict ourselves to an exa¬ 
mination of the chemical characters of the above-men¬ 
tioned Scotch chalybeates, we observe that the iron is 
present in large quantities in the form of sulphate, along 
with sulphate of alumina, on which account they are 
more nauseous to invalids, and are at the present time 
rather unpopular. 
Recently my brother, Dr. Alexander Dewar, Melrose, 
sent me for analysis a sample of a new well water, whose 
peculiarity had previously attracted his attention. A 
chemical examination of the water in question showed 
it to be a well-defined acidulous chalybeate, unusually 
rich in carbonate of iron. The following are the ana¬ 
lytical details. (As the surface-water gets access at 
present, a very exhaustive analysis appeared unneces¬ 
sary) :— 
Grs. per gall. 
Carbonate of iron.17*5 
Alumina.1*8 
Silica.8*5 
Sulphate of magnesia . . . . 7‘8 
Chloride of calcium . . . . 16‘0 
Carbonate of calcium . . . . 4*1 
Alkaline chlorides.11 ’4 
67T 
Carbonic acid gas per gallon 40 cubic inches. 
With the exception of the celebrated “ Dr. Muspratt’s 
chalybeate,” at Harrogate, which contains 10-8 grains 
per gallon of carbonate of iron, along with 16-0 grains 
of protochloride, I do' not know of any natural water in 
this country containing such a large proportion of iron 
in the form of carbonate. And it is to be observed that 
the water is not associated with a large quantity of other 
salts. 
The well whence the foregoing sample was taken has 
not been long sunk, and its water is perfectly different 
from all of those in its immediate vicinity. Should it 
maintain its present character, I have no doubt that, 
judging from its own qualities, as well as from its fa¬ 
vourable climatic situation, along with the general in¬ 
terest attached to the locality, this chalybeate is certain 
to recommend itself to the medical profession.— Chemical 
News. 
