1 62  Chemical  Examination  of  Cincho-§uinine\'''^-^^'^l^^^^^^- 
these  chemical  changes  so  much  disturbance  to  natural  organic  combinations  is  made, 
that,  practically,  we  realize  no  marked  advantages.  It  seems  unnatural  to  force  a 
natural  alkaloidal  base  out  of  its  association  with  an  organic  acid,  and  recombine  it 
with  a  mineral  acid.  This  we  do  in  the  preparation  of  the  sulphate  of  quinia.  How- 
ever, as  it  has  served  so  good  a  purpose  for  so  many  years,  it  is  not  best  to  quarrel 
with  the  theory. 
"  All  the  alkaloids  of  bark  possess  about  equal  febrifuge  and  tonic  properties, 
when  isolated  and  administered  in  that  condition.  This  has  been  proved  over  and 
over  again  by  all  competent  chemists  and  physicians,  from  Drs.  Gomez,  Duncan^ 
Pelletier,  Cavtntou,  down  to  the  time  of  Liebig's  researches,  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  by  a  hundred  careful  chemical  and  medical 
observers. 
How  the  one  alkaloid,  quinia,  came  to  supersede  the  others,  and  drive  them  intO' 
the  background,  is  easily  undrstood,  when  we  remember  that  it  was  about  the  first 
that  was  distinctly  eliminated,  studied,  and  experimented  with  5  and  the  eclat  it  ac- 
quired caused  eveiything  else  to  be  neglected.  The  natural  bark,  holding  all  the 
alkaloids,  the  quinia,  cinchonia,  qulnidia,  etc.,  has  always  been  observed  to  produce 
more  efficient  and  prompt  results,  both  as  a  tonic  and  febrifuge,  than  the  quinia,  or 
either  of  the  other  principles  in  themselves;  but  holding  also,  as  it  does,  tannin, 
gum,  starch,  fibrine,  and  coloring  matter,  all  of  which  are  medicinally  interfering  or 
inert,  its  use  is  rendered  inconvenient  and  inadmissible  in  many  cases.  Besides,  it  is 
apt  to  produce  disturbance  of  the  gastric  functions  of  an  unpleasant  character. 
Acting  upon  the  idea  that  the  natural  alkaloidal  principles  of  bark,  in  their  simple, 
unchanged  condition,  separated  from  the  gross,  woody,  and  other  matters,  would 
better  subserve  all  therapeutical  ends  than  the  barks  themselves,  or  any  one  of  the 
alkaloids  separately  employed,  Cincho- Quinine  has  been  prepared. 
"  Cincho-Quinine  contains  no  external  agents,  as  sugar,  licorice,  starch,  magnesia, 
etc.  It  is  njjholly"  composed  of  the  bark  alkaloids-^  ist,  quinia;  2d,  cinchonia  ;  3d, 
quinidia  ;  4th,  cinchonidia  \  5th,  other  alkaloidal  principles  present  in  barks,  which 
have  not  been  distinctly  isolated,  and  the  precise  nature  of  which  are  not  well  under- 
stood. In  the  beautiful  white  amorphous  scales  of  Cincho-Quinine,  the  whole  of 
the  active  febrifuge  and  tonic  principles  of  the  cinchonia  barks  are  secured  without 
the  inert,  bulky  lignin,  gum,  etc.  It  is  believed  to  have  these  advantages  over  sul- 
phate of  quinine  : 
"  I  St.  It  exerts  the  full  therapeutic  influence  of  sulphate  of  quinine,  in  the  same 
doses,  without  oppressing  the  stomach  or  creating  nausea.  It  does  not  produce  cere- 
bral distress,  as  sulphate  of  quinine  is  apt  to  do,  and  in  the  large  number  of  cases 
in  which  it  has  been  tried,  it  has  been  found  to  produce  much  less  constitutional 
disturbance. 
"  2d.  It  has  the  great  adnjantage  of  being  nearly  tasteless.  The  bitter  is  very  slight 
and  not  unpleasant  to  the  most  sensitive,  delicate  woman  or  child. 
"3d.  It  is  less  costly  than  sulphate  of  quinine.  Like  the  sulphate  of  quinine,  the 
price  will  fluctuate  with  the  rise  and  fall  of  barks,  but  it  will  always  be  less  than  the 
lowest  market  price  of  that  salt. 
"  4th.  It  meets  irdications  not  met  by  that  salt." 
Circular  No.  2  was  found  inside  of  the  blue  wrapper  and  enveloping 
