May 23, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
945 
SALE OF JAVA BARK AT AMSTERDAM 
ON 14TH MARCH, 1872. 
BY. DR. J. E. DE VRY. 
Although small lots of Java hark had already 
been brought in public auction in 1870 and 1871, it 
was not before last March that any important 
quantity of that bark was offered for sale. The lot 
consisted of about 5830 kilogrammes, comprising the 
barks from five different species of Cinchona, viz.:— 
1. Cinchona Calisaya, 1970 kilogr. 
2. C. Hasskarliana, Miq. ( C. Calisaya hybrids De 
Vry), 690 kilogr. 
0. C. Pahudiana , 2930 kilogr. 
4.. C. officinalis, 190 kilogr. 
f>. C. succirubra, 70 kilogr. 
With the exception of No. 5 all the barks had a 
beautiful appearance and were admirably well 
packed, and I have no doubt that this good external 
condition contributed greatly to the high prices 
which these barks have realized ; for these prices, 
as will be seen, are not in relation to the real 
amount of alkaloids contained in the barks. 
Tiie realized prices per kilogramme were the fol¬ 
lowin'! :— 
No. 
O 
8 d. to 3*. 9d. 
10 d. to 5s. 6d. 
2d. 
3 d. to 5s. 4 d. 
1.—One lot (500 kilogr.) 3 s. 
One lot f200 kilogr.) 4s. 
One lot (800 kilogr.) 5s. 
One lot (250 kilogr.) 5s. 
One lot (220 kilogr.) 5s. 2d. to 5s. 4 d. 
No. 2.—One lot (250 kilogr.) 5s. Id. 
One lot (65 kilogr.) 5s. 2d. 
One lot (75 kilogr.) 6s. 4 d. 
One lot (300 kilogr.) 6s. 4 d. to 6s. 5 d. 
No. 3.—One lot (900 kilogr.) 3s. 5 d. to 4s. 
One lot (200 kilogr.) 5s. 2d. to 5s. 3 d. 
One lot (300 kilogr.) 5s. 3d. to 5s. 4 d. 
One lot (1500 kilogr.) 4s. lid. to 5s. 4d. 
No. 4.—One lot (60 kilogr.) 8s. 4d. 
One lot (60 kilogr.) 8s. 8d. 
One lot (70 kilogr.) 8s. 9d. 
No 5.—One lot (70 kilogr.) Is. 8d. 
The chemical investigation of the mentioned barks 
gave the following results. 
No. 1.—(Lot sold at 5s. 3d., to 5s. 4d.) 
Total amount of alkaloids 1'5 per cent. 
Molecular rotation of the mixed alkaloids [«] j = 
85°- 8J. 
Quinine: traces. 
Ditto (lot sold at 5s. 2d.) 
Total amount of alkaloids 2T per cent. 
Molecular rotation of the mixed alkaloids [«] j — 
58° J. 
Quinine: appreciable traces. 
No. 2.— (Lot sold at 0s. 4d. to 6s. 5d.) 
Total amount of alkaloids 1:8 per cent. 
Molecular rotation of the mixed alkaloids [«] j = 
17°-5-T. 
Quinine: 0 4 per cent. 
No. 3.—(Lot sold at 4s. lid. to 5s. 4d.) 
Total amount of alkaloids 0‘74 per cent. 
Molecular rotation of the mixed alkaloids 90 Cf r. 
Quinine: traces 
Cinclionidine dominates. , 
No. 4.—(The lot sold at Us. 8d.) 
Total amount of alkaloids 2 7 per cent. 
Molecular rotation of the mixed alkaloids 109 Of; c 
Quinine : 107 per. cent. 
No. 5.— 
Total amount of alkaloids L8G per cent. 
THIRD SERIES, No. 100. 
Molecular rotation of the mixed alkaloids 39° 
Quinine : 0 3 per. cent. 
I am sorry to state that these results seem to me 
very unsatisfactory, as they are much inferior to 
those obtained by me with the different barks from 
the plantations in British India. 
The Hague, May 1 , 1872. 
Mote on the above, communicated by 
J. E. Howard, Esq. 
Dr. de Vry having obligingly put at my disposal 
the specimens of the barks above described, with 
the option of either adding them to my collection or 
sending them to the Museum of the Pharmaceutical 
Society, I have preferred the latter course, and for¬ 
ward them accordingly. It will be seen that the 
results of the sale tend to confirm the views I have 
frequently expressed as to the Java harks. The (so- 
called) Calisaya has not the appearance any more 
than the qualities of the genuine bark,* and the C. 
Pahudiana, though a poor bark, equals it in value. 
I have sought to discriminate in a practical sense 
between the different and sometimes nearly allied 
forms of the Cinchome, and to this end have always 
regarded the differences of the harks as giving most 
material help in the classification; and, moreover, 
bringing pharmaceutical designations more into har¬ 
mony with those of the botanists. In so doing I 
have experienced the usual lot of those who force 
unpalatable truths on unwilling ears, and have now 
the somewhat barren consolation of thinking that 
the advice given was the best I could offer, and that 
the present state of the produce of the Dutch planta¬ 
tions confirms my predictions. I am however pleased 
that my C. Pahudiana : holds up its head as a dis¬ 
tinct species, distinct in various particulars, and I 
think specially in the bark, from the C. Garabayensis, 
with which I pointed out its alliance in my first de¬ 
scription. If the C. Garabayensis could produce any 
bark like the above it would doubtless, from its 
abundance, have become an article of import from 
South America. 
VESICATING INSECTS. 
BY M. C. COOKE, M.A. 
[Continued from page 863.) 
“ In Europe, Assmuss states that on being brought 
into the nest by the bee, the larvae of the oil 
beetle leave the bee and devour the eggs in the 
bee-cells, and then attack the bee-bread. When 
full-fed and ready to pass through their trans¬ 
formations to attain the bee state, instead of at 
once assuming the pupa and imago state, they 
pass through a hyper-metamorphosis, as Fabre, a 
French naturalist, calls it. In other words, the 
changes in form which are preparatory to assuming 
the pupa and imago states are here more marked 
and almost coequal with the larva and pupa states, 
so that the Meloe, instead of passing through three 
states (the egg, larva and pupa), in reality passes 
through these and two others in addition, which are 
intermediate. The whole subject of the metamor¬ 
phosis of this beetle needs revision, hut Fabre states 
that the larva, soon after entering the nest of its 
• The C. Calisaya, var. ruyosa (Miquel) is not, in my 
opinion, a Calisaya at all; the specimen ol it which 1 have 
from Hasskarl, differs entirely from specimens of the true 
C. Calisaya in the same collection. 
