''''^'j^^r^!,'S.js!'^']  Chemical  Examination  of  Cincho-^inine,  i6i 
On  the  reverse  page  is  printed,  besides  about  a  column  and  a  half  of 
letters,  the  following  : 
"What  is  Cincho-Quinine  ? — This  question  is  often  asked  by  physicians  who 
have  not  been  made  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  this  important  agent,  and  there- 
fore we  republish  the  following  article,  which  appeared  in  the  Journal  in  June, 
1869,        which  presents  in  a  clear  and  explicit  manner  its  nature  and  uses : 
"  The  chemical  manipulation  of  the  Cinchona  or  Peruvian  barks  reveals  the  pres- 
ence in  them  of  quite  a  number  of  most  remarkable,  complex  bodies.  No  vegetable 
production,  except  the  poppy,  affords  such  a  marvellous  combination  of  valuable 
medicinal  principles  as  the  loxa  and  calisaya  barks,  and  no  substances  have  been 
studied  with  greater  care  or  more  intense  interest  by  chemists.  Nothing  short  of 
the  subtle  chemical  forces  controlled  by  the  Infinite  One  could  construct  from  the 
elements  of  the  earth  and  air  a  bitter  principle  like  quinia,  or  those  other  agents  asso- 
ciated in  bark,  so  closely  allied  to  it  physically  and  ciiemically.  A  handful  of  the 
finely  comminuted  fibres  of  the  yellow  bark,  which  resembles  physically  a  dozen  other 
varieties,  is  made  to  yield  by  the  chemist,  when  treated  with  aqueous  and  alcoholic 
liquids  and  acids,  a  dark,  bitter  solution,  unattractive  in  taste  and  appearance.  If 
the  process  is  skillfully  conducted,  or  exhaustive  in  its  results,  there  remains,  besides 
the  solution,  a  portion  of  woody  fibre,  inert  and  almost  tasteless.  It  holds  consider- 
able coloring  and  some  waxy  matter,  together  with  a  little  tannin  ;  but  the  active 
chemical  or  medicinal  principles  have  been  removed,  and  are  held  in  the  dark  liquid. 
The  exhausted  bark  is  not  entirely  worthless,  for  it  may  be  dried  and  used  as  fuel. 
But  what  of  the  dark  liquid  ?  From  this  the  chemist  obtains,  besides  other  sub- 
stances, a  portion  of  beautiful,  white,  silky  crystals  5  not  wholly  of  one  distinct  kind, 
but  of  several,  all  of  which  possess  about  equal  chemical  and  therapeutical  importance. 
No  wonder  it  seems  to  the  uninitiated  in  chemical  manipulation  a  difficult  work  to 
perform.  It  is,  however,  quite  easy  to  the  thoroughly  instructed.  The  first  principle 
isolated  may  be  the  quinia.  This  is  not  held  in  the  bark  in  its  naked  alkaloidal  con- 
dition, but  locked  up,  in  the  form  of  a  salt,  with  another  principle  called  kinic  acid- 
In  the  bark  it  is  kinate  of  quinine.  We  isolate  the  quinia,  tear  it  from  its  embrace 
with  kinic  acid,  throw  that  away,  force  it  into  a  kind  of  matrimonial  alliance  with 
sulphuric  acid,  and  in  this  condition  of  sulphate  of  quinia,  use  it  as  a  medicine. 
This  kinic  acid  marries  into  several  other  families  resident  in  the  bark,  prominent 
among  which  are  cinchonia,  cinchonidia,  quinidia,  etc.  Precisely  how  many  of 
these  alkaloidal  principles  the  different  kinds  of  barks  contain,  is  unknown  j  but  it  is 
safe  to  assume  that  there  are  as  many  as  four  others  which,  although  not  distinctly 
pointed  out,  are  tolerably  well  recognized.  These  kinates  are  all  kindred  in  nature^ 
and  all  labor  to  the  same  end,  when  isolated  and  set  to  work  as  therapeutical  agents 
in  the  human  system. 
"  In  one  hundred  ounces  of  good  yellow  bark,  we  obtain  about  two  and  three- 
fourths  ounces  of  quinia,  and  two  ounces  of  cinchonia,  with  variable  amounts  of  the 
other  principles,  but  less  than  the  two  named.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  we  cannot 
remove  the  different  families  of  kinates  from  the  bark  in  their  natural  state  of  saline 
combination.  It  seems  reasonable  to  suppose  their  action  upon  the  system  would 
be  more  salutary  than  in  other  forms.  It  is  easy  to  isolate  the  kinic  acid,  and  hav- 
ing the  alkaloids,  the  kinates  of  quinia,  cinchonia,  etc.,  can  be  re-formed  5   but  in 
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