The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-28
THE OUININE TRADE.
Damage to the Business in Ecuador by Eng
lands Bark-Raising.
Washington Special.

Washington Special.
The report of the South American Commission
contains some interesting information about the
quinine bark trade. r. III. Hoadey, a merchant
doing business with Ecuador, was the witness
under examination when Governor Reynolds
said. suggestvely:
''You are the first one that has mentioned the
Ecuador trade"
1.-The Ecuador trade" replied Mr.. Hoadley,
has received very black eye you might state,
In the last four years, in consequence of the de-
cline in the price OF quinine bark. That was
very large factor of their shipments from there,
employing large number of men. in trade
this is known Peruvian bark, but we call it
Quinine bark. Some of the richest qualities
came from Ecuador, but now the price has de-
clined to very low point, and it is almost i'm
main cause Of the decline has been the wonderful
development of the cultivated bark III
Sierra Leone and the East Indies. Some
twenty years ago or less the English
government realized that they dependent
upon two States in South America, Colombia
and Ecuador. you might say Bolivia, for
their supplies of quinine and the English gov
eminent use an immense quantity of it, in the
East especially, in their armies and navieS, and
in all those southern countries it is almost
matter of food; and they said, We must not be
dependent upon three South American States
that at any time may get into war with each
other and cut off the supply So they sent out
commission to investigate the subject and OBJ
and secured the plants, took them to India, and
began the cultivation, SO that in the East Indies
it was on government land and with govern
ment labor and what they did not want they
sold. They used what they required for making
quinine for their purposes, and beyond that they
sold the surplus to the European markets.
That commenced in very small way,
but has steadily grown, t only in
quantity, but in quality: While the best
quinine bark that is shipped from South
America the very best, has seldom over q to 3
per cent. of quinine.-for instance, in 100 pounds
of bark there would be three pounds of the sui
plate Of quinine-under cultivation in India
they get it up as high as 4, o. or 10 per cent and
in quantity and quality that the European mar
kets are flooded with it, and the price has
steadily declined, so that it is almost impossible
to ship barks from South America that will pay
the expense of shipping In Sierra Leone and
India the bark is grown at so little cost that
they can deliver it in London and make profit
if they only get shilling pound for it,"
Q. Have they not improved machinery for
the use of ite A. Yes, sir; for the manufacture
of Quinine But the enormous quantity of bark
now raised has brought down the price.
O. And the fact that what comes from India.
as you say, is so much purer? A. So much
richer.
Q. Yields more9 A. Yes, sir; yields more;
while In Ecuador and most parts of South
America the barks are gathered so far from the
coast and their only means of transportation is
on mule back and mems backs to the little
rivers, that the actual cost to bring a bale of
bark, of gathering it and getting it to New
York. in many sections, is much more than it is
worth.
O. Has Mexico made any efforts to raise Pc
ruvian bark? A. No, sir; the climate is not
suitable for it. 1t requires peculiar climate
There may be parts Of Mexico where it could be
grown They have started it in Jamaica and
it has increased 1 only speak of that as one
reason why the trade between Ecuador and the
United States has fallen off very materially in
the last three years. They can not pay for
their purchases now in bark, as they did for
merly.