Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
Jan  ,  1877.  j 
Cinchona  Febrifuge. 
3i 
pounds  of  dry  bark.     The  filtration  is  not  commenced  until  the  follow- 
ing day,  when  the  liquor  is  transferred  to  the  calico  strainers,  which 
have  been  well  wetted.      The  first  portions  that  run  through  are 
returned,  until  the  liquid  passes  of  a  bright  ruby  color ;  it  is  then 
allowed  to  flow  away  by  the  drain.     After  all  the  liquor  has  drained  off", 
water  is  passed  through  the  precipitate  until  it  ceases  to  acquire  a  red 
tint.    The  alkaloids  on  the  filter  should  then  be  of  a  uniform  cream 
color.    The  precipitate  is  now  dried  and  reduced  to  a  fine  powder, 
which  is  stored  in  suitable  bins.    It  constitutes  the  crude  febrifuge. 
The  precipitate,  during  the  act  of  drying,  acquires  a  slightly  reddish- 
brown  color.    It  is,  therefore,  submitted  to  a  process  of  purification. 
Fourteen  gallons  of  water  are  mixed  with  two  pints  of  sulphuric  acid, 
and  twenty  pounds  of  the  dry  powder  are  introduced.    The  alkaloids 
dissolve,  and  a  quantity  of  coloring  matter  remains  insoluble.  About 
half  a  pint  of  a  solution  of  sulphur  in  caustic  soda  is  now  stirred  in, 
and  the  whole  allowed  to  stand  for  twenty-four  hours.    It  is  then 
filtered  through  calico  into  a  clean  vessel,  care  being  taken  to  get  the 
liquor  perfectly  bright.    About  six  gallons  of  water  are  used  to  wash 
the  sediment  left  on  the  filters.    The  clear  filtrate  is  thoroughly  mixed 
with  solution  of  soda  to  precipitate  the  alkaloid.    The  precipitate  is 
collected  on  calico,  washed  with  a  small  quantity  of  water,  drained, 
dried  and  reduced  to  fine  powder.    It  is  then  ready  for  issue.  Wooden 
tubs  are  used  for  this  process,  but  they  are  not  so  well  suited  for  the 
purpose  as  enameled  iron  or  earthernware.    The  purification  is  con- 
ducted in  a  separate  shed  by  a  man  who  is  confined  to  that  work.  The 
only  workmen  employed  in  the  factory  are  Nepalese  coolies.  When 
the  process  is  once  brought  into  full  operation,  it  is  found  that  these 
men  readily  master  every  detail,  and  conduct  the  whole  thing  with  all 
the  care  and  accuracy  that  is  required.     But,  of  course,  the  factory  is 
under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Gammie,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
plantations,  who  visits  it  once  a  day  and  sees  that  the  work  is  being 
properly  performed.    Dry  succirubra  bark  only  is  employed.  More- 
over, care  is  taken  to  mix  the  root,  stem  and  branch  bark  together  in 
as  nearly  as  possible  the  proportions  in  which  they  are  yielded  by  the 
plantations. 
This  mixture  is  broken  into  small  pieces,  and  a  maund  of  it  goes  into 
each  cask.  This  is  done  to  insure  uniformity  of  composition  in  the 
product.    Green  bark  is  never  operated  on.    It  will  be  seen  that  the 
