BOGOTA  BARKS  FROM  NEW  GRENADA. 
309 
as  unofficinal ! !  Now  what  are  the  facts  of  the  case  ?  The 
U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  says  not  one  word  about  Carthagena  bark, 
any  more  than  it  does  about  the  barks  in  question,  which  have 
been  thrown  into  commerce  since  the  Pharmacopoeia  was  pub- 
lished. The  U.  S.  Dispensatory  says,  »  Carthagena  barks  are 
not  recognized  by  the  Pharmacopoeias."  And  why?  Because, 
for  the  purposes  required  by  these  authorities,  the  three  varieties 
of  bark  therein  specified  are  deemed  the  best ;  yet  by  Pharma- 
copoeia authority,  under  the  name  of  "  Cinchona  Pallida,"  Loxa 
barks,  so  called,  and  analogous  varieties,  have  admittance  ad 
libitum,  which  contain  but  a  trace  of  quinia,  with  from  one  to 
three  per  cent  of  cinchonia.  I  have  examined  a  bark  from  the 
west  coast  without  a  trace  of  quinia  and  over  three  per  cent,  of 
cinchonia ;  yet  under  the  construction  lately  put  upon  the  law 
by  the  inspector  at  this  port,  of  officinal  and  non-officinal,  all 
such  barks  may  enter. 
But  the  new  instructions  [see  page  302]  issued  by  the  present 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  dated  June  4th,  inst.,  have  the  fol- 
lowing clauses : 
»  Cinchona  bark,  when  affording  one  per  cent,  of  pure  quinia, 
whether  called  Peruvian,  Calisaya,  Arica,  Carthagena,  Mara- 
caibo,  Santa  Martha,  Bogota,  or  under  whatever  name,  or  from 
whatever  place  ;  or 
»  Cinchona  bark,  when  affording  two  per  cent,  of  the  several 
alkaloids  combined,  as  quinia,  cinchonia,  quinidin,  aricine,  &c, 
the  barks  of  such  strength  being  admissible  as  safe  and  proper 
for  medicine,  and  useful  for  chemical  manufacturing  purposes." 
These  clauses  establish  a  standard  by  which  the  Examiner  can 
easily  test  all  the  cinchona  barks,  and  will,  if  acted  on,  prevent 
the  introduction  of  the  inferior  pale  barks,  and  furnish  the  manu- 
facturers of  sulphate  of  quinia  with  the  material  they  demand 
to  enable  them  to  compete  with  European  manufacturers.  The 
last  clause  is  evidently  intended  to  refer  to  the  pale  barks,  which 
are  known  to  contain  less  than  one  per  cent,  of  quinia.  Yet,  if 
we  are  correctly  informed,  the  Examiner  of  this  port  construes 
it  to  mean  that  one  per  cent,  of  quinia  shall  be  found  in  the 
gross  amount  of  alkaloids, — a  forced  construction,  which  will 
compel  him  to  reject  the  entire  range  of  pale  barks,  notwith- 
standing they  are  protected  by  his  favorite  word  "  officinal." 
