The Role of Chemistry in History

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Intro to Quinine

April 17th, 2008 · 3 Comments ·

Intro | Chemistry | Sources | Affects History | History affects  | Poor Countries | Undesired Effects  | Substitutes | Conclusion

Malaria, which comes from the Italian mal aria meaning bad air, is a disease caused by a microscopic parasite transmitted from one patient to another by the anopheles mosquito. References to this disease can be found in written records of China, India and Egypt dating from as far back as thousands of years.  Believed to be perhaps the greatest killer of humanity of all time, malaria remains a big concern especially in third world countries where it claims millions of lives every year. The first effective treatment against this disease is quinine, a natural white crystalline alkaloid extracted from the cinchona bark. Thanks to its medicinal properties, quinine has saved millions of lives and has had a tremendous impact on the history of the world as we know it.

Tags: Quinine