458 
Effect  of  Altitude  on  Red  Bark. 
{ Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      Sept.,  1883. 
strong  red  soil ;  the  mean  annual  rainfall  about  90  inches,  and  the 
mean  annual  temperature  about  73°  F. 
As  this  elevation  is  intermediate,  so  the  alkaloids  hold  a  consistently- 
intermediate  position  between  the  two  samples  of  Ceylon  bark,  perhaps 
with  a  slight  exception  as  to  the  amorphous  alkaloid.  If  the  circum- 
stances of  growth  in  other  respects  had  been  the  same  as  in  India,  it  is 
probable  that  the  amount  of  quinine  in  the  Jamaica  sample  of  6,000 
feet  would  have  increased  at  the  expense  of  the  amorphous  alkaloid. 
As  it  is,  the  Jamaica  bark  at  this  elevation  scarcely  equals  expectations, 
although  the  botanical  samples  are  very  true  to  type. 
Analyses  of  samples  of  Cinchona  succirubra,  sent  by  Drs.  Trimen 
and  Morris,  at  different  elevations  : — 
Elevation  above  Place  of         Qui-     Cincho-  Cincho-   Quini-   Amor-  Total 
sea  level.  growth.         nine.     nidine.    nine.       dine,    pl-^ous.  alkaloids. 
A.  5,500  ft.  .  .  Hakgala,  2-06  3-47  0-61  Traces  0-66  6-80 
5,500  to  6,000  Jamaica,  1-76  3-17  0*75  0-75  6*43 
2,400  .    .    .    Jamaica,  1-50  0*86  3-06      0*06  1-13  6-61 
B.  1,500  ft.  .    .    Peradeniya,  0-47  0-05  1-67      0-30  1'06  3-55 
The  succiruhra  is,  however,  the  wrong  sort  to  cultivate,  and  (except 
only  as  regards  the  bark  renewed  in  Mclvor's  method)  will  always  be 
found  disappointing.  The  shaving  process  is  incomplete.  It  is  requi- 
site that  the  bark  should  be  stripped  in  the  wet  line  of  the  cambium. 
The  tree  then  begins  de  novo.  An  exudation  is  thrown  out  from  the 
peeled  surface,  "  like  the  perspiration  from  the  back  of  the  hand,'^  as 
Mclvor  described  it  to  me.  The  formation  is  then  radial,  and  not  con- 
centric (see  Fig.  5  and  6  of  Plate  III  of  my  "  Quinology  '^),  with  abundance 
of  cellular  tissue  and  a  consequent  complete  change  in  the  alkaloids.  I 
have  objected  to  the  succiruhra  from  an  early  stage  in  the  culture,  but 
opposite  counsels  prevailed.  The  prices  obtained  for  very  inferior  bark 
now  sent  home  may  perhaps  show  the  planters  that  it  would  have  been 
more  to  their  interest  to  cultivate  the  better  sorts — Pata  de  Gallinazo 
introduced  together  with  succiruhra  by  Cross,  the  magnifolia  (Uritu- 
singa?),  the  rohusta, — known  to  them,  but  neglected  till  lately.  I  have 
just  received  an  account  of  the  1882  harvest  of  bark  in  Java,  from 
which  I  learn  that  763  bales  of  all  sorts  of  succiruhra  bark  gave  on 
an  average  of  28  analyses  1*04  per  cent,  of  quinine;  but  of  this  two 
lots  were  oi  renewed  bark,  respectively  2*2  and  2*4  per  cent.,  and 
deducting  these,  the  percentage  falls  to  0*94  of  quinine.    This  culture 
