No. 350, REVENUE, 23RD JULY 1896.
As evidence of the expansion of the distribution of quinine by this office during
the past official year, quinine was asked for and sent out to the Native State of Kar-
bhari-Janjera in Scinde (north-west of India), to Tinnevelly (south), to Bombay
(west), to Ganjám (east). The Bengal Government has taken 1,500 lb. of quinine for
Calcutta and the Medical Storekeeper, Mian Mir. The Province of Burma, too, has
drawn its supply of quinine from Madras.
Febrifuge.—The quantity of febrifuge manufactured at the factory during the
past official year was 2,284 lb., there remained in stock at the beginning of the year
1,946 lb., making in all 4,230 lb. Of this quantity, 2,666 lb. were disposed of as
follows :—
LB.
Issued to the Medical Stores Department, Madras ...
...
...
500
Do.
do.
Bombay ...
...
. . .
1,500
Issued to Local Fund and Municipal dispensaries
. . . . . . . . .
Sold to Native States and to the public
...
...
666
Total ...
2,666
and there thus remained at the end of the year 1,564 lb.
In G.O., No. 2382, Local and Municipal, dated the 17th November 1894, commu-
nicated to this office under G.O., No, 4720, Revenue, of 1st December 1891, Government
ruled that Local Fund and Municipal hospitals should, from the commencement of the
official year 1895–96, obtain their quinine and supplies of other medicine independ-
ently of the Madras Medical Stores Department, and that the quinine and febrifuge
required should be obtained by these institutions from the Cinchona, Department.
This office therefore has practically been doing the work hitherto carried on by the
Medical Stores Department, Madras, by distributing the quinine and febrifuge indented
for by the several Local Fund and -Municipal dispensaries, and by recovering and
adjusting separately the value of each indent. This has added very materially to the
work at the Head office, for, in addition to the above, the despatch of quinine powders
to Collectors and Forest officials and Post offices, the sending out of quinine and
febrifuge to the Medical Stores Departments of Madras, Bombay and Calcutta, and the
public, was attended to. The unusual pressure of work in the office was cheerfully
borne by Mr. D. Campbell, the Manager, and his staff, who performed their duties most
diligently during the year. The Manager was also in charge of the accounts and
correspondence of the Gardens during Mr. Jamieson's illness and until the appointment
of the new Curator in February.
X. THE QUINOLOGIST'S REPORT.—This report is not submitted separately this
year ; many of the results obtained from the experiments made in the laboratory will
be found in other portions of this and the Administration report of the Government
Gardens.
XI. MISCELLANEOUS— ( a ) Purchase of fresh Cinchona seed.— In last year's report
it was pointed out that cinchona plants now raised from the oldest officinalis trees,
and those of the purest type, are not so vigorous or lasting as plants raised from seed.
taken from those trees ten or twelve years ago. A disease similar to canker sets in
when the young plants are about two years old and just when they are ready for
planting out. For this reason it appeared desirable that some fresh seed should be
obtained from the home of the cinchonas in South America. The Secretary of State
referred this question to the Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, who discouraged
the idea of securing seed from South America, and suggested that it might be supplied
by the Jamaica Plantations where crown bark trees are almost naturalized and seed
freely. The Director of Public Gardens and Plantations, Jamaica, reported, through
the Colonial office, that he would do his utmost to comply with the request for ten
pounds of seed ; but considering the question of the probable supply from there, he
thought it not at all likely that that quantity could be supplied, as the seed to be of
any value should be obtained from mature trees ; and as it is extremely light, the
number of trees that would be required to give such a large amount was probably
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