Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-06


by washing and rewashing and dis
solved with distilled water until the
pure. white sulphate is finally drawn
off in solution and set away in porce-
lain-lined pans to cool and crystalline.
1t Is a beautiful sight to see the I'M
mense rows Of these big porcelain
pans. hundreds in number. full OF the
crystal sulphate. which looks like snow
in the water and it was delight 70
me to run my hand down through the
solid crystals and squeeze the water out
as one would in making SNOWFALL
but find ball OF the valuable drug as
white as the snow itself.
After the crystals have formed IN
these pans and the solution Is thor
Oughly cooled their contents are
dumped into centrifugal extractors.
which throw the water out and leave
the quinine crystals nearly dry. ms
last crystalliZing solution, or distilled
water, with a trace of Quinine dis
solved in it, is returned to the main
building through underground pipes.
acid is added to it. and it becomes the
first washing solution. as above
described. The quinine is then taken
out of the centrifugal machines ana
spread upon trays to dry. Nearly
every druggist knows that quininc sui
phate should contain between IA TO 10
per cent. of water of crystalli.ation;
one of the most delicate operations in
the manufacture of quinine is to pro-
duce the article without too much or
too little moisture in the finished
product.
After the quinine has been properly
dried it is all accurately weighed.
The crystallizing building. in which
ali OF this work is done and in which
no manufacturing operations are car
rieJ on aside from the purifying ana
crystalliZing Of the quinine, is the most
perfect specimen of absolute cleanil-
ness | have ever seen in any labora-
tory. The floors were covered with
porcelain finished tile. which We're kept
as clean as dishes. and ] noticed that
the smallest dripping of solution on the
floor would hardly land before there
was a native after it with Il cloth. The
machinery and apparatus were kept in
perfect order. and even the porcelain
lined orystalliZing pans before alluded
to We're washed with soap and water
every tiiI' tt'- Sptutioit' N'4N
into them Cloth was stretched over
each row Of pans 10 keep out the dust
and light.
Tie quinine. after being weighed into
the cans. is sent To the stock-room.
where 1t is put in cases. which are
manufa ctured by natives right OF the
ground After the goods are all placed
in the cases there Is "A sample ex-
tracted from each lot that Is represent
ed in the finished product. and the
director of the Dutch government
cinchond plantation. who has spent %
years in the service. and who is a dis
Interested party. comes To the labora-
tory and applies the pharmaCopoeial
tests to every sample.
This quinine then goes to Batavia. the
principal business city and port of the
island Of Java. where il is sold at public
auction approximately once month
The factory has no interest in the sales.
as 1t does no commercial business except
with the planter himself. who pays the
factory a stated sum (Which amounts 10
81 for every 50 ounces for manufacturing
costs. for il will bc remembered thai the
planter owns the bark and sends il Ia the
factory simply to have the quinine taken
from it. which is done on a guarantee
that he shall receive the qunine that the
bark ASSAYS. and he is at liberty to nave
he sends the bark to the factory. The
quinne which comes from the bark be-
longs to the "lanter until IL is sod at
public auction. He simply pays the fac
tory the cost of manufacture and the
factory agrees not to enter into the man
ufacturc OF guinine on its own account.
Indeed ~ have said the factories arc
largely owned by the planters themselves.
and. naturally. they will work for their
own interest. which eViicutly has proNci.
to be to the interest Of the public as well,
quinine is sold to the highest bidder
there is no chance for injustice Ia any
body.
The auctions in Batavia are carried on
hN the hcuS.' of MvSSrs Tidcm:in u Van
kcrchem. VINO are the oldest and lest
established bankers in Java. having hccn
The uuiniuc is bid for by various brokers
who act tor Iuyon" that wishes to en-
ul"N them; they charc" a stated commits
sion for their work; but d" not spccu at
in any sense Of the word. In fact. 81
strict are they with the auctions that u
broker must mention the names of the
parties for whom he is purchasing the
uIIiniuc. which. Of course. is done To pre-
ciudc any possibility of speculation, for
they are determined that there shall be 4
fair. open handed business. The auininc
is then shipped to the various parts of
the world. - great deal of il coming 10
Amcrica-a trip which takes, for freight,
five weeks.
have told AS briefly as possible the
story Of the production of the drug fIom
the time the seeds are placed in the
GroGUd untIl il reaches our drug MAJ ket
ana manufactures Institutions Much
Of ii is maze into tablets nowadays and
with permission ! will give brief d.
scription OF the processes employed in 50
doing on a large scale.
The cuiiNnc. which. VI course. comes
i'll l'rl-ouncc cans. is placed III i mixing
machine. which consists OF an iron box
with two Very strong spirals revolving
H. thc bottom tt is here mixed with
.,,lt1 t.4h