8
No. 426, REVENUE, 2ND AUGUST 1898.
arrangements would be made to extract febrifuge from the red barks by the acid
process, and the importance of carrying on this work was enhanced when it was found
that it would not be possible to make quinine until September. A suitable place
was found for the manufacture, in the covered verandah of the bark store, water was
laid on in piping through the whole length of the verandah, and 180 tubs were made
for the bark and acid, liquor, &c. The manufacture of febrifuge from the red barks
was started on the 1st June and from that date until the end of the year 114,650 lb.
of red bark were used which yielded 4,304 lb. of febrifuge. The cost of the chemicals
used per pound of febrifuge extracted from these barks was As. 15-11, while the
chemicals and oils used for the extraction of quinine and febrifuge from the crown
barks cost Rs. 1-8-1 for each pound of alkaloid. The febrifuge manufactured during
the year was of very good colour, and the quinine, a sample of which was sent to the
Chemical Examiner, Madras, was reported to contain a little over 5 per cent. of other
cinchona alkaloids and 8 per cent. of moisture. The standard of purity for sulphate
of quinine laid down by the British Pharmacopœia is that it shall contain not much
more than 5 per cent. of other cinehona alkaloids and not more than 15 per cent. of
moisture, so that the quinine manufactured at Nedivattam may be considered to
satisfy all the requirements of the Pharmacopœia as to purity. The following
statement shows the cost of manufacture and distribution during the year :—
Amount.
Amount.
RS.
A. P.
R.S.
A. P.
Value, of chemicals in store on 31st March
1 8 9 7 .
7,532 5 9
Value of chemicals in store on
31st March 1898.
9,428 4 10
Factory overseer's pay
1,500 0 0
Cost of 11,481 lb. alkaloids.
Laboratory Assistant for 3 months
43 8 0
(5,092 lb. quinine and 6,389 lb.
82,705 4 1
F a c t o r y
l a b o u r
2,852 5 7
febrifuge
including cost of
Cost of chemicals, packing and despatching
quinine and febrifuge
20,895 3 0
packing and distributing).
Cost of 108.934 lb crown bark purchased
from Private growers.
23,999 6 5
Cost of 17.000 lb. crown bark, 1896-97 crop,
at As.4-2.71.
4.492 9 8
Cost of 111,650 lb. red bark, previous year's
crops, at As. 4-3-61.
30,813 2 6
Total
92,133
.
8 11
Total
32,133
8 11
From the above statement it will be seen that the cost of 11,481 lb. alkaloids
was Rs. 82,705-4-1 or Rs. 7-3-3 per lb. The cost in 1596-97 was Rs. 8-2-2
per lb. of alkaloid, and, deducting the value of the raw material used, the cost of
manufacture and distribution was 2-0-7 per lb. against Rs. 2-7-7 per lb. last year.
The crown barks treated during the Year yielded an average of 4 . 04 per cent. sulphate
of quinine and 1 . 65 per cent. of febrifuge, while the red barks gave 3 . 75 per cent. of
febrifuge. A small proportion of the purehased bark, viz., 8,934 lb., gave the very
high outturn of 6 . 40 per cent, sulphate of quinine and 1 . 04 per cent. of febrifuge, and
the remaining 100,000 lb. averaged 3 . 74 per cent. sulphate of quinine and 1 . 75 per
cent. febrifuge.
The following table gives the output of quinine and febrifuge since the com
- m e n c e m e n t o f m a n u f a c t u r e a t N e d i v a t t a m , a n d , t o a v o i d m i s c o n c e p t i o n , t h e c r o w n
and hybrid barks which yield quinine as well as febrifuge, and the red barks which
yield febrifuge alone, are shown in separate columns :—
Crown and
Hybrid barks
(quinine
and febrifuge
barks)
Red barks
(febbrifuge -
barks).
T o t a l b a r k
Outturn of alkaloids.
Sulphate of
quinine.
Febrifuge
Total
alkaloids.
LRS.
LRS.
LRS.
LRS.
LRS.
LRS.
1889-90
6,650
8,600
15,250
234
357
591
1890-91
96,200
96,200
2,928
1,050
3,978
1891-92
122,500
22,000
144,500
4,425
3,174
7.599
1692-93
157,771
13,946
171,717
4,933
3.139
8,072
1893- 94
52,600
122.400
173,000
2,000
5,775
7,775
1594-93
152.800 I
43,800
196.600
4.770
1,756
6,526
1595-96
136,000
97.800
233.800
3,600
2,284
5,834
1896-97
237,000
1,100
235,100
7,891
3,350
11,241
1897-98
125,934
114,650
240,584
5,092
6,389
11,481