204 REPORT ON IMPORTED ADULTERATED DRUGS. 
which was fit, or even safe, lor medicinal purposes. Much 
of it had become greatly deteriorated by age, was worm 
eaten and decayed, while other portions, notwithslanding 
they showed a somewhat fair appearance externally, (the 
colour, &c., having been brightened by artificial means for 
the purpose of deception,) gave internal, unmistakable evi- 
dence of the virtue of the root having been extracted by 
previous decoction, for the purpose of making what is sold 
as the " extract of rhubarb," and thereby rendering it of 
no further value for medicinal use. This article was in- 
voiced at from 2^ pence sterling, (5 cents) to 7 pence (14 
cents) per lb. The price of good rhubarb at the place of 
production, has been, for several years past,about as follows: 
The East India, from 35 to 45 cents per lb., according to 
circumstances; the Turkey or Russian, from 25 to 
$2 50 per lb., exhibiting a very wide difference in price, as 
will be perceived, between the good and refuse article. 
Another of our more important articles of medicine, par- 
ticularly in the newly settled portions of our country, comes 
to us in large quantities entirely unfit for medicinal purposes; 
but like the worthless rhubarb root, is eagerly bought up at 
auction sales by unprincipled \drug dealers, and sent to the 
drug mills, where it is ground and powdered, the colour, 
smell and natural taste imitated, and afterwards sold to 
country dealers and others as a good article. The result 
of this is, that it is finally dispensed to the sick, at the sacri- 
fice, doubtless, of many valuable lives every year; we mean 
the Peruvian bark. 
Several varieties of this bark are used in medicine, viz.: 
the "yellow," the "pale," the '* red," &c., but neither 
variety can scarcely ever be obtained, at the place of pro- 
duction, of good quality and in good condition, at a less rate 
than from 30 to 40 cents per pound ; and the quality gene- 
rally used for the manufacture of sulphate of quinine, (or 
the salts of Peruvian bark,) has not for years been obtained 
from those parts of South America where it is produced at 
