No. 578, REVENUE, 16TH JULY 1897.
bark was from the abandoned portions of Wood estate and supposed to be rather poor, it is
satisfactory to find the annual crop up to the average :—
1889-90
3.89 per cent. sulphate of quinine.
1890-91
3.23
”
”
1891-92
3.85
”
”
1892-93
3.84
”
”
1893-94
3.51
”
”
1894-95
3.52
”
”
1895-96
3.39
”
”
1896-97
3.62
” ”
Average
3.60
” ”
Alleged deterioration of crown bark.— The subject of the deterioration of crown bark was in
some unaccountable manner brought up in the correspondence that ensued when the Secretary
of State was asked to supply this department with some fresh officinalis seed. Dr. King in a
letter, dated 7th April 1896 (G.O., No. 211, Revenue, 23rd May 1896), writes as follows. " As
regards the alleged deterioration in quality of the cinchona bark grown in India, I am of
opinion that the allegation is, to a certain extent, true. The yield of quinine from these barks
does not appear to be quite so high as it used to be in the early stages of the enterprise." A
difficulty in raising healthy plants from the seeds of good Dodabetta trees has lately been
experienced, but as far as the trees themselves are concerned, there has been no indication at
present of a falling off in the alkaloidal content of the bark. The figures in the foregoing
table show how uniform has been the composition of the bark for many years, and there are
plots of trees in the Government plantations whose stem bark would yield twice as much quinine
if harvested separately. The deterioration (if it may be called so) of the mature trees has only
manifested itself in the plants growing on poor soil or on exposed situations such as those
presented by certain parts of Hooker estate, but the majority of officinalis trees on all Nilgiri
plantations have a most luxuriant growth.
Experiment with manures.— If it is necessary to add further testimony to the benefit of
high cultivation for cinchonas, the following experiment may be recorded. Some trees planted
in 1866 at Dodabetta were manured with burnt and powdered bones in February 1895. In
January 1897. nearly two years afterwards, samples of bark were stripped from the trees and,
after being dried in the sun were analysed with the following satisfactory result :—
Quinine
5.34
Cinchonidine
.86
Quinidine
.26
Cinchonine
.52
Amorphous
.44
Total
7.42
Sulphate quinine
7.18
Fire Cinchona estates .—Among the many causes that influence growing cinchona
plants, it has never been ascertained as to how far fire in an estate will effect the bark on the
trees. In the dry weather of 1896 several jungle fires entered the estates in the Wynaad, and
by means of the long dr y grass at the base of the trees, passed between the cinchonas, burning
the leaves and scorching the bark. The owner of one of these estates, anxious to know what
damage was done to his ledgerianas by this treatment, forwarded a sample of the bark for
examination and report. The bark was only superficially smoked or blackened ; the epidermal
layers were intact, and the cambial cells had not been reached b y the heat. The bark contained
6.18 per cent. of sulphate of quinine, a similar composition. I was informed. to that which it
had shortly before the occurrence of the fire.
Water in quinine. —Quinine sulphate always contains an amount of water which may be
driven off entirely when heated to the temperature of boiling water or may be partially lost
when exposed to dry air. In one or two cases, medical subordinates have, on the receipt of
consignments, placed the contents of the tins in the sun for a few days, and noticed a decrease
in the weight in consequence. It is only natural to expect that by submitting the sulphate to
such a severe test as the heat of a tropical sun, it will invariably be found wanting Pure
sulphate of quinine, according to the last edition of the " British Pharmacopœia," should
contain seven and a half molecules of water of crystallisation, which is theoretically equiva-
lent to 15.2 per cent. On account of the loss of water of hydration occurring in commercial
samples even when exposed for a very short time, it has been recently recommended by autho-
rities at home that quinine crystals should be directed in the next Pharmacopœia to contain
two molecules only an amount represented by between 4 and 5 per cent. of water. As a
practical result of the manufacture of Nilgiri quinine, the maximum quantity of water is seldom
reached ; by the careful drying which it has received during the past year, the finished product
has contained about 10 per cent. of water and has given every satisfaction to the Medical
Departments to which it has been issued.
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