^""seprim"'"'}         W^^^  of  ^f^titude  on  Red  Bark.  '  459 
can  hardly  be  profitable  for  quinine  manufacture/  nor  yet  for  pharma- 
ceutical purposes,  as  I  have  shown  first  in  my  Quinologia,"  1862, 
and  many  times  since,  that  the  "  red  bark  contains  a  distinctly  noxious 
ingredient  not  found  in  the  barks  better  adapted  for  medicinal  use. 
The  tests  of  the  inferior  Calisaya,  Schukraft,  Savanica,  and  Anglica, 
are  about  1  per  cent,  of  quinine.  Surely  this  cannot  pay  at  present; 
but,  even  if  it  does,  how  will  such  plantations  compete  in  future  with 
the  immense  cultivation  commencing  elsewhere.  Of  course  in  Java 
the  redeeming  feature  is  the  Ledgeriana ;  the  officinalis  seems  also  to 
promise  well. 
The  result  of  these  trials  seems  to  prove  that  elevation  above  the 
sea  level  is  far  more  important  than  all  the  other  factors  in  the  prob- 
lem, but  why  this  should  be  so,  I  confess  I  do  not  see.  The  true  home 
of  the  Cinchona  is  in  the  clouds ;  direct  scorching  sunlight  is  fatal. 
I  am  at  this  moment  observing  with  interest  the  effect  of  light  on 
some  Cinchonas.  In  the  early  part  of  last  year  I  sowed,  almost  at  the 
same  time,  seed  of  the  true  Ledgeriana  from  the  Yarrow  estate  in 
Ceylon,  derived  from  trees  yielding  from  7  to  12  per  cent,  of  quinine, 
and  also  seed  kindly  given  me  by  Mr.  Christy,  from  Bolivia,  of  the 
best  kinds  there  cultivated.  I  watched  with  interest  the  development 
of  the  young  plants,  which  for  a  considerable  time  entirely  resembled 
each  other — only  that  I  found  the  Ledgeriana  the  more  sensitive  to 
surrounding  influences.  After  some  months'  growth  the  Bolivian  seed 
began  to  develop  the  characteristics  of  the  verde,  morada,  and  the  rubra 
venada  of  Bolivia ;  whilst  the  Ledgeriana  showed  features  of  difference, 
though  at  the  same  time  of  close  affinity.  This  was  shown,  amongst 
other  things,  by  the  rich  velvety  surface  of  the  leaf,  marking  the  best 
Calisayas,^  as  also  by  a  delicate  fringe  of  hair  at  the  edges  of  the  leaves. 
But  now  that  the  more  flourishing  ]3lants  are  some  ten  inches  in  height 
(the  rubra  venada  twenty),  further  diversities  appear.    The  leaves  of 
^  See  the  Blue  Book  of  Indian  Government  (June  18,  1866,  p.  134),  in 
which,  after  analysis  of  the  first  parcels  sent  home,  I  observed  the  great 
preponderance  of  cinchonidine,  and  notified  to  the  Indian  Government 
"  This  difficulty  must  be  looked  steadily  in  the  face,  and  I  would  suggest 
that  it  may  be  obviated,  either  by  a  change  being  wrought  in  the  opinion 
of  the  medical  world  as  to  the  value  of  cinchonidine  as  a  medicine,  or  by 
the  plant  being  encouraged  to  produce  quinine  instead  of  cinchonidine." 
This  latter  Mr.  Mclvor  afterwards  succeeded  in  eflecting  by  his  renewing 
process.  The  Government  also  acted  on  my  former  suggestion. 
See  WeddelPs  "Histoire." 
