Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-03-23
QuiNlNE FORESTS.
How the CinchonR Bark IL Procured tn
the State OF Condenamaroa.

the State OF Condensmaroa.
In describing the quinine forests Of
the Andes. the German traveller, Frits
BraunhofT, says: The little town Of
La PaS is situated in the State Of Con-
denamarca, ten thousand feet above the
level Of the sea. Ten years ago 1t was
hardly known by name, while to-day 1t
is to the manufacturer and merchant Of
quinine the most important point on
the globe. Although but small vii.
lage which can not even boast of a
hotel, there is more life and traffic going
on than in many large cities. The
days are exceedingly hot while the
nights are refreshingly cool. Although
American, German, English and French
agents have had business transactions
here for years, there Is little social life
among them; they seem to mistrust
each other, there being a painful mys-
teriousness in their business intercourse;
but as the heavy transactions take
place mostly in forests and mount
aims, social intercourse in the town
seems not to be required. Upon our
arrival at La Paz, we engaged a
small dwelling for three months;
twenty wood-choppers were hired for
the same period, and, provided with
the necessary provisions, we struck out
for the mountains. The chief remained
in town to direct the packing and OK.
port Of the cinchona bark. The bark
Is sent to La Paz either in small rolls
stripped from the twigs or larger
branches. or in llat and thick slabs from
the trunk and main roots of the trees.
II is graded into four qualities: first,
the brown or gray, also called the
Peruvian bark; second, the yellow or
Bolivia bark; third, the red bark, and
fourth, the imitation, or "quininova."
The price of the bark is regulated 40
cording to the amount OF alkaloid and
other medicinal ingredients It contains.
The most valuable is the cinchona-hova
and cinchona-calisaya, which contains
most Of the alkaloid. This latter is the
only tree Of the cinchona family which
grows in the vicinity Of La Paz, and is
found at a height OF from thirty-three
hundred to eleven thousand six hundred
feet above the level of the sea. As the
product differs in strength, chemists are
employed to determine and classify its
value accordingly.
The hills and mountains are covered
with dense forests of these ever green
trees, but their destruction is so rapid
that the government Of Condenamarca
had recently to pass law prohibiting
the young trees from being slaughtered
together with the rest. As soon as q
certain amount Of bark has been Sc
cured 1t Is dried ON the spot. and Its
quantity Of quinlne examined, and II
the result is satisfactory the telling OF
trees is proceeded with. While half
the men are thus occupied the other
half peel off the bark, and every even.
ing the produce of the day Is loaded
upon mules and sent to La Paz, where
it is pulverized, sewed into hides or
bags, and immediately transported to
the cities on the coast.
The sojourn in these forests, with
damp atmosphere and the absence oi
fresh water, Is exceedingly unhealthy.
When 1t is considered that thousands
OF hands are continually busy in telling
these trees, an idea can be formed Of
the enormous consumption Of quihine.
However, it will not be many
years before the cinchona forests Of
the Andes win be among the things
q the past. The DutGh have Of
late years cultivated the quinine
tree in the East Indies and as.
pecially in Java, with surprising re-
suits; here the trees are not destroyed,
hut only partially deprived Of their
bark, SO that in the eourSo of years the
bark is renewed and ready for another
crop Chicago Times,
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