QUININE was discovered in 1.8._AO by Pelletier and Caventou, French chemists; cinchonitline and quinidine in 1852 by 31. Pasteur. It is a vegeto-alkali obtained from cinchona bark. The medicinal properties of the Peruvian barks are due to these vegeto-alkalis. The refuse or mother liquor of the quinine manufacturers con tains amorphous quinine, also called chinoidine or quinoidine. It is a yellow or brown resin-like mass, insoluble in water, but freely soluble in alcohol and ether, as also in dilute acids. Quinine is one of the easiest drugs to adulterate, as the substances mixed with it are of very similar appear ance and properties. Cinchona bark contains several alkaloids of more or less febrifuge pro perties ; quinine, the principal, is accompanied by cinchonine, cinchonidine, and. perhaps other minor alkaloids, all of which have a strong resem blance to quinine, but possess febrifuge properties more or less inferior to those of quinine, and often producing different symptoms. These , alkaloids have always been separated by the European manufacturer, as the mixed alkaloids would be unsaleable there, and they are disposed of separately, each at its own naarket price, the inferior alkaloids fetching often less .than half the price of quinine. Barks vary in the proportion of alkaloids they yield ; but it may be said that for every ounce of quinine manufactured there are at least two ounces of inferior alkaloid pro duced. The alkaloids End a certain outlet amongst private practitioners making up their own medicines, in the dispensaries of hospitals and parish infirmaries, and other circumstances where the high price of quinine restricts its use ; but much of these alkaloids is mixed with quinine intended for exportation. This mixture is a fraud, because these inferior alkaloids require a much higher dose (30 to 50 per cent. more) to produce the same febrifuge effects as quinine in mild cases ; they often completely fail in severe cases of a,gue, and generally cause nausea and other unpleasant symptoms. In France, pharmaceutical authorities who inspect druggists' shops, condemn all quinine found to contain more than three per cent. of cin chonine.
Tbe cinchona plants, introduced into India by Mr. Clement Markham's (C.B.) devoted exertions, have been largely cultivated, and the Governments of Bengal and Madra3 have been manufacturing the alkaloids, either separating them or keeping them combined, styling the latter condition the cinchona febrifuge or mixed cinchona alkaloids.
100 parts of it have been found to contain quinine, 15.5 ; cinchonidine, 29 ; cinchonine, 33.5 ; amor phous alkaloids, 17 ; and colouring matter, 5.
The Madras Government, about the year 1882, forwarded to the Secretary of State consignments of cinchona barks, from the estates at Naddewatum, Dodabetta, and Pykara, from which quinine and other alkaloids were to be manufactured on their behalf. Mr. Whiffen's analysis of these yielded the following results :— Description. Qvuiiinaltneepsule: Anpchhaotneivd.incs afkisnlcolacpa.
Renewed crown bark, 5'57 to 5'71 0'41 to 0'48 0'12 to 0'31 Mossed bark, 4'06 to 4'3 144 to l'5 0'2 to 0'24 Natural bark, 3'6 to 3'42 1'02 to 1'21 0'15 to 0'23 Renewed red b., 3'04 2'32 1 '84 Mossed bark, 1'71 to 2'09 2'15 to 2'32 1'68 to 2'39 Natural bark, 1'28 to 1'2 2'8 to 3'57 1'14 to 1'63 Root bark, . l'3 to 2'09 2'1 to 2'15 2'39 to 2'57 Branch bark, 0'8 to 0'66 1'5 to 1.35 0'47 to 0'51 Renewed scraped crown bark, 4'34 0.37 0'21 Natural scraped,1•81 0'75 0'06 Branch crown, 0.7 0'16 0'04 The total lbs. of products obtained by manufacture was as follows :— Quinine sulphate, . 1467 Cinchonine alkaloid, 208 Cinchonidine sulphate,'345 Febrifuge,. . 2236 Quinidine sulphate, . 40 Total charges on account of the bark sent amounted to 13352, Os. 9d., distributed as fol lows :— Freight, agency, etc., . . . . 2721 9 3 Manufacturing charges, . . . 2604 11 0 Fire insurance of bark at factory, 26 0 0 Notwithstanding the increasing price of quinine, its import iuto India is increasing.
Lbs. Rs. Lbs. Rs.
1875-76, 3,925 1,91,619 1879-80, 7,500 8,60,072 1876-77, 4,648 3,34,437 1880-81, 3,964 4,29,515 1877-78, 5,025 6,58,509 1881-82, 10,615 9,98,631 1878-79, 5,940 6,50,005 1882-83, 7,585 6,48,912 Imports into India of quinine on account of Government have already (1883) practically ceased, and India will soon supply all its own wants from its cinchona plantations at Darjiling aud the Neilgherry mountains. In 1882-83, India exported 641,608 lbs. of cinchona bark, value Rs. 7,90,861. When the home consumption of bark was one-fourth the present amount, quinine was only half its present price. The discovery of kairin may lead to a diminution of price. In February and March 1883, the Madras Govern ment had two sales of 48,645 lbs. of 18 kinds of cinchona bark, which realized from 8 annas 8 pie per pound to Rs. 2.8.8, the latter being for mossed crown.—Markham, Per. Bark.