Cincho-^inine. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
1        May,  1875. 
ments  of  the  manufacturer,  ^■Vho  certainly  has  the  most  reliable  knowledge  upon  the 
subject. 
As  manufacturers  of  the  article,  we  unhesitatingly  say,  that  never  has  a  phial  of 
the  agent  left  our  laboratory  constituted  in  correspondence  with  the  •quantitative 
results  reached  by  the  Louisville  gentlemen,  and,  in  saying  this,  we  distinctly  dis- 
claim any  purpose  of  charging  them  with  intentional  false  statements. 
In  our  circulars  we  have  stated  cincho-quinine  to  be  the  bark  alkaloids  quinia, 
cinchonia,  quinldia,  cinchonidia,  and  other  alkaloidal  principles  present  in  Peruvian 
barks,  and  it  contains  no  substances  but  those  naturally  existing  in  bark.  By  this, 
we  wish  to  be  understood  as  stating  that  cincho-quinine  is  a  new  method  of  present- 
ing the  bark  alkaloids,  and  is  unlike  any  other  product  which  may  be  substituted  by- 
physicians  for  sulphate  of  quinine. 
In  conlusion,  we  are  convinced  that  no  more  certain  proof  of  the  remedial  value 
of  cincho-quinine  could  be  given  than  its  growing  popularity  with  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  the  attention  given  to  it  by  the  pharmacists  of  the  country  ;  and  while 
their  published  analyses,  both  qualitative  and  quantitative,  differ  widely  from  each 
other,  and  all  are  incorrect^  it  is  yet  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  us  that  the  more  ex- 
haustive their  labors,  the  more  nearly  do  they  approach  to  our  statements  regarding 
its  nature  and  value.  Billings,  Clapp  &  Co. 
EDITORIAL  REMARKS   ON  THE  ABOVE  COMMUNICATION. 
The  drift  of  this  communication  appears  to  be  to  throw  doubt  upon 
the  correctness  of  the  results  obtained  by  Professors  SchefFerand  Diehl^ 
for  no  other  reason  than  that  the  tests  and  reactions  (of  such  complex  and 
delicate  organic  principles)  involve  deceptive  color-tints  or  forms  of  crystals 
ivith  such  varying  solubility.  Referring  to  the  analysis,  as  published  in 
the  April  number,*  it  will  be  observed  that  the  color  reactions  of  the  cin- 
chona alkaloids  have  not  been  used  for  their  quantitative  deterinination. 
The  objection  as  to  the  varying  solubility  is,  therefore,  the  only  one,  a 
priori.^  admissible  in  this  case.  Scheffer  and  Diehl  treated  the  recently 
obtained  precipitates  from  2  grams  each  of  three  samples  of  cincho- 
quinine  with  i\  fluidounce  of  stronger  ether,  spec.  grav.  '728,  con- 
sequently weighing  497  grains  =  32  grams.  The  amount  of  alkaloids 
taken  up  by  the  ether  is  regarded  as  representing  the  alkaloids  quinia, 
quinidia  and  cinchonidia,  all  of  which  are  soluble  in  from  20  to  80 
parts  by  weighc  of  ether.  In  no  case  was  the  residue  larger  than  'lOO 
grams,  while  the  above  amount  of  ether  is  capable  to  dissolve  "400 
grams  of  the  least  soluble  of  the  three  alkaloids  (cinchonidia).  It  was 
therefore  employed  in  more  than  sufficient  quantity  to  dissolve  all  of 
the  three  alkaloids  present  in  the  2  grams  of  cincho-quinine. 
The  reader  will  please  correct,  on  page  157,  line  16  from  top,  the  words  :  "  had 
it  contained  of  B  alone"  to  had  it  consisted  of  B  alone  ;  on  page  158,  line  i,  the 
word  "  cinchonia  "  should  be  conchinin. 
