EDITORIAL. 
91 
the  use  of  the  stereotype  plates  of  the  old  edition ;  and  it  is  equally  a  source 
of  regret  that  so  valuable  a  treatise  should  not  have  fallen  into  hands 
better  fitted  to  the  task,  who  would  have  refused  to  edit  the  work  under 
such  unfavorable  auspices. 
We  give  below  an  extract  from  Dr.  Gregory's  Hand-book  (page  413, 
English  edition)  which  embraces  much  not  noticed  in  Dr.  Sander's  edi- 
tion, interesting  to  the  pharmaceutical  reader,  viz  : 
b.  Bases  of  Cinchona  Bark. 
a.  Quinine.  C20  H12  N  O2  ,  or  C40  H24  N2  O4  +  n  aq.  Syn.  Chinine.  This 
important  alkaloid  is  found  along  with  cinchonine,  in  most  species  of  cinchona 
bark.  It  predominates  in  yellow  bark,  Cinchona  flava,  China  regia,  or  C.  cali- 
saya;  and  is  obtained  by  boiling  with  an  excess  of  milk  of  lime  the  decoction 
in  diluted  hydrochloric  acid  of  the  bark,  and  treating  the  precipitate  with  hot 
alcohol,  which  dissolves  cinchonine  and  quinine.  On  evaporation,  the  cincho- 
nine  is  deposited  in  crystals  and  the  quinine  remains  dissolved.  Water  is  added, 
which  causes  the  quinine  to  separate  as  a  resinous  mass.  It  may  be  obtained 
in  crystals  as  a  hydrate  with  6  aq.  There  is  another  crystalline  hydrate  with 
2  aq.,  by  the  spontaneous  evaporation  of  its  solution  in  absolute  alcohol.  It  is 
very  sparingly  soluble  in  water,  but  very  soluble  in  alcohol  and  in  acids.  Its 
solutions  are  very  bitter.  When  heated  with  hydrate  of  potash,  it  yields  car- 
bonate of  potash,  hydrogen  gas,  and  quinoline  or  leucoline  (see  p.  440  et  seq.) 
Quinine  is  decidedly  alkaline,  and  neutralises  the  acids.  Its  salts,  especially 
the  sulphate,  are  very  much  used  in  medicine,  especially  as  febrifuge  and  tonic 
remedies,  in  most  cases  very  superior  to  the  bark  in  substance.  The  sulphate 
of  quinine  used  in  medicine  is  2  (C40  H24  N2  O4  ),  2  S  O3  ,  2  H  G  -f-  14  aq.  The 
acid  sulphate,  C40  H24  N2  O4  ,  2  S  O3  ,  2  H  0  -f-  14  aq.,  is  much  more  soluble 
in  water;  hence,  in  draughts,  sulphate  of  quinine  is  generally  dissolved  in 
diluted  sulphuric  acid.  The  hydrochlorate,  phosphate,  citrate,  and  ferrocyanate 
of  quinine  have  also  been  employed  in  medicine. 
llethyloquinium,  C40  "^24     I  N2  O4  .   This  compound,  homologous  with  ammo- 
C2  H3  j 
nium,  is  obtained  as  iodide,  when  iodide  of  methyle  acts  on  quinine.  From  the 
iodide,  by  the  usual  means  of  oxide  of  silver,  the  hydrated  oxide  is  obtained, 
which  is  probably  a  strong  base,  but  has  not  been  fully  described. 
Ethyloquinium,  C40  "^24     I  N2  O4  is  formed  when  iodide  of  ethyle  acts  on 
O4  H5  j 
quinine.  The  hydrated  oxide,  prepared  from  the  iodide  by  oxide  of  silver,  is  an 
energetic  base,  which  attracts  carbonic  acid  from  the  air.  The  preceding  base 
i3  said  to  resemble  it,  which  is  no  doubt  true. 
We  may  here  mention  the  remarkable  salt  discovered  by  Mr.  Herapath,  which 
is  formed  when  bisulphate  of  quinine  is  dissolved  in  strong  acetic  acid,  warming 
the  solution,  and  an  alcoholic  solution  of  iodine  added  drop  by  drop.  The 
mixture  being  allowed  to  stand  in  a  quiet  place,  deposits  large  hexagonal  plates, 
which  by  reflected  light  are  emerald  green,  with  metallic  lustre  like  the  elytra 
of  the  golden  beetle.  By  transmitted  light,  they  have  only  a  faint  olive  color. 
If  two  of  these  plates  be  superposed,  so  that  their  larger  diameters  are  at  right 
angles,  no  light  passes  through,  even  when  the  crystals  are  no  thicker  than 
the  five-hundredth  of  an  inch.  This  is  exactly  what  happens  with  two  tourma- 
lines of  which  the  axes  are  crossed.  If  polarised  light  be  used,  it  passes 
through,  giving  to  the  uncovered  part  of  each  plate,  complementary  colors, 
such  as  green  and  rose-color,  while  the  double  or  covered  part  appears  of  a  deep 
chocolate  brown.  Hence  these  crystals  may  be  used  as  polarisers  and  depolarisers., 
and  they  have  the  advantage  of  allowing  far  more  light  to  pass  through  than 
tourmalines. 
