Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-11-16
CURATIVE CHINCHONA.
How This Valuable Drug was Discovered In the
Eighteenth Century.

Eighteenth Century.
Probably few of the consumers have
taken the pains to find out that qunine
is made of the bark called Peruvian,
chinchona, calisaya or Jesuits' and that
its medical value depends on the aka
olds which it contains. Some doctors
deny it any virtue, but they are in a
small minority, and at present it is
prescribed in some form alike by allo-
paths and homeopaths. Its name of
Chinchona Is derived from the Countess
of Chinchon, wife of viceroy of Peru,
who is said to have cured herself of a
fever with it, and to have first introduced
it to Europeans as remedy 250 years
ago. The Jesuits at once put it among
their medicines, and in that way its use
was quickly extended. A number of
species of the tree or shrub are utilized
quite Unfortunately, but their quail
ties are essentially the same, though the
chinchona calisaya is held in the highest
esteem. This sort grows best in Peru
and Bolivia, and it is from these coun-
tries that our supply chiefly comes, the
slopes of the Andes affording the condi-
tions of even temperature conducive to
its growth. The gathering of the bark
is done by Indians, and they do it reck-
lessly. 'The calisaya-trees, said
man, who, as agent for New York
drug manufacturer, had lately visited
Peru, grow wild in the mountains,
where the other trees of the forest pro-
tect them from the sun. The bark is
gathered through the summer, that
sea, on however, being extended in prac-
tice from May to November. Careful
judgment ought TO be used in selecting
trees Just old enough, but this isn't al
ways done. The Indians are greedy,
and. in spite of superstition, will strip
an entire tree Unfortunately. The
proper way is to chop down the tree so
that the stump will sprout and eventu-
ally produce a new tree; but the lazy ma
tives will denude the standing trees of
all their bark, and then leave them to
die. In that way the source of supply
has been greatly lessened. The danger
of exhausting the crop is not so great,
probably, as has sometimes been repre-
sented by interested persons, yet the
Peruvian Government recent attempts
to regulate the business were made none
too soon. The larger trees have already
disappeared from easily accessible re-
gions, and the labor of getting the bark
is consequently much greater than form
erly. The indians dry the bark in the
sun, bind it in bundles, and convey it on
their own or donkeys' backs to the near
est markets. A few white planters have
gone into the cultivation of the trees
with system and considerable success.
1t has been found that by covering the
trees with moss the requisite degree of
moisture may be obtained. Thus one
of the conditions of the dark forest is
created. It has also been discovered
that wide strip may be removed
| lengthwise from the trunk every wear
without hurting the tree, so that regu-
lar and certain yield nay be depended
on. The decorticated portion. if covered
with moss, grows fresh bark in about
three years and of the same value as
before. l know of no reason why the
trees might not be grown in some parts
of the United States, but / believe the
experiment has never been made. The
British and Dutch Governments have
introducedthem into East India, Java
and Hindostan and the bark grown in
these places is an article of commerce
not distinguished from the South
American product.