The cinchona barks : pharmacognostically considered / by Friedrich A. Flückiger ; translated from the original text, with some additional notes, by Frederick B. Power.

  • Flückiger, Friedrich A. (Friedrich August), 1828-1894.
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The cinchona barks : pharmacognostically considered / by Friedrich A. Flückiger ; translated from the original text, with some additional notes, by Frederick B. Power. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The outer bark exhibits practically no stone-cells or only a few isolated ones, but contains a single or double circle of lacticiferous du cts, which, however, soon disappear. The bark of the Indian Calisaya Ledgeriana (see page 17), in consequence of its much higher percentage of alkaloid, now fur- nishes a complete substitute for the American bark. Many of the varieties formerly known as Loxa Bark, and derived from different Cinchonas, are especially distinguished from the bark of the twigs of Calisaya by the less reticulated outer surface. (b) The bast of the stem as Cinchona (China) regia plana, Cinchona (China) regia sine epidermide; Flat Calisaya; Ger., Flache, platte, unbedeckte Königschina ; Fr., Calisaya plat. Flat pieces, of a foot or several feet in length, offen nearly 2 decimeters (8 inches) in width and from 5 to 15 millimeters (%. to 5/$ inch) in thickness, and of that particularly handsome pure color which is designated as a type of the yellow varieties of Cinchona ; indeed, the approach to a reddish-yellow tint is offen scarcely per- ceptible. The outer surface, by the action of the air, is frequently darker, at least in spots, and in consequence of the conchas (see Page 35) more or less, offen to the highest degree, irregulär; the inner surface does not always exhibit parallel stripes, as in the barks of the branches, but is offen wavy. In this case, the bast bundles of the different layers occasionally separate from the frac- tured surface in a diverging direction. I his variety of bark is highly characterized by its soft tissue; even with the finger-nail one can, without effort, separate the pointed fibres, which readily penetrate the skin. On the edges of the conchas there are.as a rule, only a few easily detached bork-scales. The bast, of which, without consideration of the interior cork bands, the bark alone consists, displays sometimes more and sometimes less plainly radial, occasionally also ahnost tangential, rows of fibres. Here and there from 2 to 4 of these rows come in direct contact, but otherwise they always occur sepa- rated by the abundant parenchyma. The flat Calisaya bark from Bolivia, which until within a few years maintained a high character, has latterly occurred in com- merce with a very much diminished percentage of alkaloid It was occasionally confused with the bark of a south Peruvian spe- cies 1 Cinchona scrobiculata Humboldt et Bonpland. Their uncov- ered bast-plates resemble to a high degree those of the flat Cali- saya, but are distinguished, however, especially upon being moist- Figiire in Humb. et Bonp., Plantes equinoct Quinquinas, Plate VII. t. 47; also Weddell’s Hist. nat. des