Abstracts from Report

s from Report SEVENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF Tfl| government cinchona plantation^ AND FACTORY IN BENGAL FOR THE YEAK 1937-38 The market prices of quinine salts continued to ^ steady during the year. Imports, which had b.ee falling oil for some time past, showed signs of rally1?1'' in spite of the increased consumption of ^ cinchona products. This may mean merely an impr0? ment in general trade conditions or else an increaS1 ? faith in quinine. Considering, however, the incl ?ii of malaria in the country, it is surprising how the consumption really is, being scarcely a third of tx estimated requirements. The solution of the problem depends obviously o a greatly extended production within the co^kHc leading ultimately to a cheapening of the drug. attention has been focussed on the subject for a nu0rSf of years. An enquiry was started in the latter &K Oi the year, under the auspices of the Imperial Coun of Agricultural Research, with a view to discover^ new areas suitable for the cultivation of cinchqn^ Mr. A. Wilson, the officer in charge of this has paid two visits to the Bengal plantations. It j -3 be anticipating matters to give particulars .of 1 impressions and his own report must be awaited in 01 to obtain, in due course, his considered views. July, 1939] SERVICE NOTES 445 It would not. however, he out of place here to point out that a general survey of this nature, though it mus eud to valuable technical conclusions and indicate Possible lines of development, would require to oe lollowed up by further and sustained observation.. After 80 years of domestication cinchona still remains u plant of very fastidious habits and depends 101 i s JVell-being on a great number of climatic and to lactors the optimum limits of which are not y definitely known. Still less do we know the dct^'^ the climatic and soil conditions prevailing m 1 mteriors of new areas which may appear ir9'n. , general examination to be either suitable or unsuitable. l} seems to be advisable, therefore, that any extensive areas, which may appear to be promising 1 v a general survey, should remain under close observauo or a period before large expectations are bunt up them. The extension of the actual area under cultivation Is only one of the factors, though perhaps the mam actor, in the problem of extended produc Auxiliary factors are (1) increasing the productivity o , "e land in respect of bark, and (2) improving quality of the bark in respect of its content of the alkaloids. The first of these depends on improved methods of cultivation, the adoption of a cycle , operations suited to each individual region, and tnc application of suitable methods of soil rejuvenation after the successive cycles of cinchona. It would be cry unwise policy to concentrate on the extent ot a * a one and depend on rapid methods of . exploi a ? *or? even assuming that land were plentiful, the c ot production would be kept within reasonable mo ts only if a given area could be made to yield the jnaximum possible result in order to reduce tnc neidence of overhead expenses and the heavy capita layout in opening up land and constructing buildings, ?ads and bridge* t The second auxiliary factor, namely, the content oi alkaloids in the bark, is undoubtedly of the Importance in the problem of increasing production, nfr even a rise of one per cent in the quinine co bark?our present average being 4 per cent ead to un increase of 25 per cent in productwn. Ai hi,C'DS1Ve Programme of work in this direction, JJning both biological and chemical investigations, ^ould produce material results at a comparatively oderate expense. . , Bengal is one of the provinces most seriously attec 2 malaria. It has been fortunate in its success np to forh ? establishing a cinchona industry. But it is^ an i l*-e In that, owing to its geographical s ' . m.*1,. general topographical features, there is not muc nkelihood of anv srreat extent of fresh land bein? thpilable for extension. The problems of im^?V"he r)rLProductivity of the land and the quality of th d.uct are therefore of particular importance at tn nncture. A well-planned programme of research bot TKe laboratory and the field, is 'urgently caUed thm u tory continued to work at full preand S0Ut the yearBesides thc various Rt l the preparation of quinine sulphate of x oftK'i numerous subsidiary salts and the usual variety ablets were manufactured. , r WaV i ot0tal Quantity of bark extracted during the year on ti '236'"P lb. This is a reduction of 12 per cen sunr r? Plevi?us year and was due to the falling froni the plantations. The high qu mine Mun? of the Previous year were not "liimtiam. Kllln^?ng bark having an average of 4.43 pe > cent ?00 bark 3.73 per cent and India bark 3.94 pe^ arifl c?mpared with the previous figuies of ? , ? hotel actively. The present fisnre*> eorrespond, er, to the percentages obtained in 1935 36. Were lu? .quinine sulpliate from Indian bark 3,2 ? lefT^ pUrifi^ *7?' thOf the'" yield ?'om Ben?ni i ln the crude state. t m uu j 29 3I11 bark 13,030 lb. were left in the crude state an A furti ? were Purified to the Government standard, prefer quantity of 6,022 lb. of this standard was t0 cn ed from bin stocks and other sources in c?Pe With the demand for this product. Quinine sulphate of B.P. standard was also prepared to the extent of 14,011 lb. The agency scheme which started towards the end of the previous working year got into full stride during the year under review. Demand was up to the yearly quantities agreed upon for supply, and the factory was kept fully occupied with the preparation of several high grade salts, both in powder and tablet form and in a great variety of packings. The conversion of quinine sulphate to other salts shows a total of 1,327 lb. of which the hydrochloride and bihydrochloride, both B.P. standard and the ordinary standard, accounted for 1,249 lb., the balance being bisulphate, hydrobromide, bihydrobromide, salicylate and tannate. There was a marked increase in the activity of the tablet department, a total of 23,407 lb. of products of all kinds being converted as against 12,380 lb. only in the previous year. In consequence, this department had to be run overtime at night for a considerable period of the year. A new line was reinforced cinchona febrifuge tablet, prepared from a mixture of cinchona febrifuge and quinine sulphate, for the Government of Assam. The quantities of different products converted into tablets were:? Quinine sulphate, B.P. .. .. 185 lb. Quinine sulphate, Government standard 14,154 ? Quinine sulphate, crude .. .. 2,932 ? Cinchona febrifuge .. .. ' 3,924 ? Reinforced cinchona febrifuge .. 1,038 ? Other quinine salts .. .. 175 ?