594 
ANALYSIS 0 ¥ CINCHONA BAUKS FROM INDIA. 
Quinidine and uncrystallizable quinine . ..0*40 
Cinchonine ... . 0‘03 
0-43 
1851. Another parcel, slightly mixed with “ rusty crown ”— 
Quinidine.0'57 
Cinchonine..0*67 
0-63 
(See Pereira’s Mat. ]^Med. vol. ii. part ii. p. 1639, and ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal,’ 
August, 1854.) 
I trust that these trials will be useful in the guidance of the cultivation in India. 
It is evident that the plan adopted in Nft. 1 is the best. This was practised to some 
extent in the old times of collection of the Loja barks (as described by Kuiz in a 
MS. in the British Museum, under the name of Vascarillas resacadas*), but unless the 
bark is covered with moss immediately, as discovered by Mr. M‘Ivor, the subjacent 
woody portion suffers serious injury. On the other hand, if this is attended to, the ope¬ 
ration may be repeated with advantage, increasing, as it would seem, for every time of 
renewal. Not only is the gross percentage of alkaloids larger in the last decortication, 
but of this a more considerable percentage consists of quinine, and that less intimately 
combined with the yellow colouring matter, so as to be more easily purified. The 
structure reminds of the granulated formation of flesh over a wound, and does not ex¬ 
hibit the customary liber fibres, or at least in a very much smaller proportion to the 
mass of the bark. This great richness in alkaloids does not seem to consist, therefore, 
with the views entertained by Wigand and others, that these liber fibres are the seat of 
the alkaloids. The improvement is less apparent in the present sample of the C. offici¬ 
nalis (No. 4), but it is probable that some slight alteration might add a large portion of the 
at present uncrystallized 1-35 per cent, of alkaloid soluble in ether to the previous amount 
of crystallized sulphates. In the meantime, the examination of No. 4 and No. 5 dis¬ 
closes a most gratifying success, in the excellence of what I conclude to be the predo¬ 
minant variety cultivated in India.f It is only in a very few instances that the best 
Bolivian bark approaches the good quality which this Colorada del Rey has already 
attained in India. 
I have not yet had specimens for examination of the East Indian C. officinalis, var. 
Uritusinga, but have reason to suppose this must also be a valuable species, whilst it 
must be evident that the var. crispa should not be propagated, as it will not repay the 
expense of cultivation. The same remark, in my opinion, applies to the C. Calisaya, 
var. Frutex (as the sort hitherto chiefly cultivated is very properly named by Mr. 
MTvor;{;) ; also to the C. Pahudiana, which yields me much the same amount of alkaloid 
soluble in ether that it has done to Dr. De Vry. It is a pity to plant this sort; but 
where, as in Java, it is so extensively grown, it were equally a pity, as I think, not to 
turn the bark to some useful purpose in the way of decoctions. 
I think the variety of C. officinalis, which bore the name of Cascarilla amarilla del 
Rey, and which would now be C. officinalis, var. Bonplandiana lutea, should also be in¬ 
troduced into the Indian cultivation. The bark of this sort fetches a high price in the 
market, as it is excellent for pharmaceutical preparations, and contains quinine in a very 
pure state. 
It seems to me that none of the small quill barks, intended for sale to the druggists, 
should be mossed, as the natural appearance of the bark would be more acceptable to 
the general dealer. 
The effect of the application of moss for a few months to No. 2 does not show, as 
compared wdth the original unmossed bark of No. 3, so much real advantage as might 
have been expected. There is an increase in alkaloid, but this bears more upon the un- 
crystallizable portion of the quinine (as I ascertained by repeated experiment), and also 
upon the cinchonine, which was apparently doubled in the mossed bark at the expense 
See my Ulus. Nueva Quinologia, sub voce C. TJrihisinga. 
f 753,272 plants out of 1,123,645 in May, 1866. See ‘Report,’ p. 253. 
i ‘ Return,’ p. 203, etc. 
