The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-04-27

in our southern states and in
nearly every part of the world
where our boys are fighting, it is
rampant and far from a minor
malady.
Quinine is still, also, the sover-
eign remedy for malaria, reports
to the contrary about atabrine
notwithstanding.
Before Pearl Harbor the Dutch
on the island of Java controlled
the world supply Of quinine. Fears
have been expressed that since the
japanese conquest of Java our
supply of quinine is in danger of
running out and our troops in
tropical and semi-tropicsl coun-
tries will suffer the pangs of ma
laria without a cure.
These fears are without foun-
dation. In the first place there is
an enormous supply of quinine in
storage for the armed forces, also
an adequate supply for the civil
population of the United States
for several years.
Cultivated in Other Countries
Various companies have begun
the cultivation Of cinchona trees,
from the bark of which quinine is
derived, in Bolivia and Guatemala.
South and Central America was
the original home of the cinchona
tree. The tree takes 10 years 10
mature to the place where the
bark is productive of quinine, and
these Guatemalan trees will be-
gin to bear about six years hence.
Quinine has also been cultivated
in India. The product is known as
totaquinine (tota, because it con-
tains all the alkaloids), and while
the Indian product is not nearly
as good az the Java product, it
will serve, and requires only 4
higher dosage to make it effective.
Then the Russians have begun
cultivating Indian cinchona plants d.
in the Caucasus.
The fear that the Japanese, in
a fit of destructiveness in the
event of being forced to abandon
Java, will burn the quinine for
ests is also unwarranted. There
is nearly continuous rain in that
region: 70 burn them would be i'm
possible. And since there are 50,-
600 acres or more of these for
ests, to cut them down is equally
impossible in any short time.
The Dutch botanists have de-
veloped one of the most highly
specialized agricultural projects
on earth in their cinchona planta-
tons. They have bred and cult
waited their trees so that they get
8 to 10 per cent quinine out of the
bark, whereas the British in India
get only 2 per cent and the Gen.
trail American bark yields even
less.
This farming takes long-range
planning. The crop natures only
once in Is years, and after the
tree is stripped it is afterwards
useless. So every year one forest
must be destroyed and a new one
planted. The seeds of the cinchona
tree are so small that it takes
about 10000 to make a gram. The
Dutch have taught Javanese girls
TO distinguish the seeds with en-
bryos. They sit at table, the top
of which is ground glass, illumin-
sted from below, and brush the.
little seeds into a pile with feath- -.
er, separating them from the use
less ones.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
W. T., Brisbane, Cal.-"There
Is good deal of measles around
here and a neighbor friend of
mine was very perturbed when ]
refused to come in her house re-
Gently. She says measles are not
serious, either for children or
adults. Is this correct?"
Answer: Measles in childhood,
II the child is separated from
others, is seldom serious although
certain complications, such as
running ear and pneumonia, may
occur. Measles in institutions,
such as orphan asylums, is likely
to be much more serious. In adults
measles takes on a more serious
aspect. You we're perfectly right
to refuse to go in a house where
measles exists.