48 
NOTE  ON  PERSIAN  OPIUM. 
most  part  germinated,  and  thrown  out  a  considerable  number  of 
shoots. 
"  Dr.  de  Yry  is  about  to  publish  a  first  memoir  on  this  sub- 
ject, of  which  the  text,  in  German,  will  shortly  appear  in  the 
Bonplandia,  This  work  comprises  the  cultivation  and  chemi- 
cal composition  of  the  Cinchona.  He  has  already  forwarded 
to  his  Government  some  sulphate  of  quinine,  quinoidine,  and 
pure  cinchonine.  He  has  now  obtained  four  per  cent,  of  alka- 
loids, which  promises  well  for  the  future. 
<'This  chemist  is  about  to  undertake  a  work  which  will  have 
for  its  object  the  determining  the  relative  richness  of  the  barks, 
according  to  the  different  altitudes  under  which  the  Cinchona 
trees  grow  and  develop. 
When  we  recollect  the  isolation  of  the  Cinchona  trees  in  the 
forests  of  South  America,  and  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome  in 
the  discovery  of  others,  often  at  great  distances;  when 
we  know  with  how  little  consideration  the  natives  fell  the  Cin- 
chona trees,  and  when  we  contemplate  the  scarcity  that  must 
arise  at  some  time  or  other;  we  cannot  too  much  applaud  the 
persevering  efforts  and  great  sacrifices  of  the  Dutch  Govern- 
ment. In  short,  everything  promises,  that  in  the  course  of  time 
the  cultivation  of  the  Cinchona  in  the  mountains  of  Bandong 
will  supply  our  generation  with  regular  and  inexhaustible 
supplies." 
In  consequence  of  this  note  of  M.  de  Vry,  M.  Reveil  observed, 
that  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Imperial  Society  of  Acclimatiza- 
tion, a  prize  of  1500  francs  had  been  proposed  for  a  successful 
attempt  to  acclimatize  the  Cinchonas  in  France  or  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Southern  Europe.  This  prize  will  be  awarded  in  1861, 
— London  Fharm.  Journ.  from  Journal  de  Pharmacie  et  de 
Ohemie. 
NOTE  ON  PERSIAN  OPIUM. 
By  Dr.  0.  Reveil.* 
Persian  opium,  which  for  many  years  has  been  but  seldom  met 
with  in  commerce,^is  now  becoming  more  abundant;  it  is  important 
therefore  to  decide  on  its  value  as  a  medicine,  and  the  place 
*Slightly  abridged  from  Journ.  de  Pharm.  et  de  Chim,  Aug.  1860. 
