Growing the 'Jesuit Bark' in the Nilgiris

A few years ago, I had the opportunity of interviewing Vanya Orr. She was and still is doing yeoman service in the Nilgiris, converting small holdings to organic farming.

Vanya Orr was the first one to tell me about the cinchona plantations and how they were chopped down to make way for "industrial forestry".

One of the areas where cinchona was cultivated was Naduvattom on the way to Ooty. Near Naduvattom, there are large blue gum trees and I imagine that this is the area which was once populated by the cinchona trees.

Naduvattom, an obscure little village with a few shops and a cluster of shanties, was the place where quinine was manufactured.

The cinchona bark was the source for quinine and was required in large quantities to deal with the malaria fever, which was rampant all over India and many other parts of the world. Today, doctors mourn that the synthetic quinine is not very effective in the treatment of malaria, but the cinchona plantations, which supplied the wonder bark are almost all gone.

The use of the cinchona bark in the treatment of malaria and other fevers was first noticed by Jesuit priests in South America. The story goes that the wife of the Viceroy of Peru, Countess of Cinchon (hence the name), was effectively treated for malaria with a decoction made of the bark of a tree that had become known as the cinchona tree.

The cinchona bark was brought to Europe by the Jesuits and was called the 'Jesuit bark'. The demand for the bark soon outgrew the supply. European powers vied with each other to get hold of cinchona so that it could be planted in their colonies in Africa and Asia. But it was only by the middle of the 19th Century that the cinchona seedlings were successfully smuggled out of South America.

By 1867, the commercial cultivation of cinchona in the Nilgiris gained popularity. Cinchona was planted in a woody ravine on the slopes of the Doddabetta. The species planted here was found in the higher elevation in Peru. Other varieties of cinchona were subsequently planted at Naduvattom at the edge of the western plateau.

Labour was scarce and many of the government and private plantations used convict labour to clear the jungle and to plant cinchona. The convicts were mainly Chinese from the Straits Settlements and some from mainland China too. After they served their time, these Chinese men married Tamil women and settled down to live in Naduvattom, making a living out of growing vegetables and from dairy farming.

The quinine manufactured here was favourably reviewed in London. But by 1905, the quinine manufactured at the Naduvattom factory was used mainly in India. It was supplied to the medical depots in Bombay and Madras and to other parts of India. The quinine was made available to poor people by what was called the 'pice-packet system', no doubt a precursor to the one rupee sachets.

Seven-grain doses were sold at three pies a packet at post offices and other revenue offices.

By 1905, the Naduvottom factory was producing more than 17,000 pounds of quinine and brought in a profit of Rs. 15 lakh.

Cinchona was also planted in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was called then) and by the Dutch colonists in Java. As in the case of any agricultural commodity with over-production the price of cinchona crashed in the London market and maintaining these large plantations became unviable. The plantations were abandoned and planters waited to see if the trees would survive by themselves. They didn't. The cinchona trees were soon choked by the jungle.

Nina Varghese

Fidelity to Madras

I refer to the reminder to Union Finance Minister about his promise to save the Bharat Insurance Building (MM, August 16th). It should be child's play for the FM to get the LIC Chairman to preserve the building because he is the LIC Chairman's boss. There are, however, other priorities.

The FM has to first tackle the economy which has become as moribund as the building. Besides, he has other promises to keep and files to go (shall we say scams to investigate?) before he sleeps. Plus, he has to step gingerly because Subramanian Swamy is snapping at his heels. He certainly has a lot on his plate.

A lurking danger is LIC quietly borrowing a couple of bulldozers from Metrorail and reducing the building to rubble overnight.

C.G. Prasad
9, C.S. Mudali Street
Kondithope
Chennai 600 079

Save the house

When I came down to Madras from Delhi in 1999/2000, I was struck by the beautiful location of Beach House (MM, September 1st) and wished to live there if wishes were horses. I did not know its history. It was in a neglected state and since I did not know the Principal of the QMC, I spoke to Mr. Muthiah to speak to her. Perhaps he did and within a few days I saw it being spruced up and it had survived to this day. If money is the problem for the QMC today, it could offer it to the DGP, who being just opposite could help maintain it for useful purposes. It should not be allowed to be pulled down.

Incidentally, I feel that no other city in India including Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore (I seldom visit Calcutta) has a variety of beautiful houses, including the new ones and apartment buildings as Chennai. All you have to do is keep your eyes open in Adyar, R.A.Puram, Alwarpet, Boat Club, Keshav Perumal Puram, Nungambakkam, etc. to see this beautiful variety – in between there are old, quaint houses with people living in them.

But the surroundings are kept filthy. Chennai is one of the filthiest cities in India. And QMC seems to be reflecting it.

Dr. G. Sundaram, IAS (RTD)
A-601, "Dugar Apartments"
Keshav Perumal Puram
Greenways Road
Chennai 600 028

In poor taste

The comments in Short 'N' Snappy on September are in poor taste.

Anybody who comes to our table comes to celebrate Chennai/Madras. I feel we should honour and respect this.

It is obvious to all: not everyone has the means or the opportunity to eat, in fellowship, as another may want it to be. The least we can do is to encourage a brother man, woman and children particularly, to indulge in the happiness of the event.

I feel what has been written erodes the dignity of our fellow citizens and the important values of Madras.

George K. John
18, Orange Grove Road
Coonoor 643 101

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Man from Madras Musings is on vacation at the moment. When he returns he will no doubt clear the air for reader John.

We are waiting...

When I received Madras Musings of August 16th, I glanced at the front page, and immediately noticed that the 'a-musing' column by Ranjitha Ashok was missing, I saw down below the farewell note. The usual gleam on the front page is not there, in the absence of the cartoon by Biswajit.

Both Ranjitha Ashok and Biswajit have 'fared well' even in their farewell article. What a lovely cartoon depicting the Grand Old Lady, and what an equally nice summation of the topics that had appeared in earlier issues by Ranjitha Ashok.

The Grand Old Lady has assured us that "you'll be back ...." Let it be sooner than later, with more 'a-musing' stories.

We are waiting...!

Raghavan M.K.
46, Shanimahatma Temple Road
Kowdenahalli, Ramamurthy Nagar,
Bangalore 560 016