quinine. Article #31. Vol 9, pg 862.
Quinine, used to treat Malaria, has the distinction of being the first chemical compound to be successfully used to treat an infectious disease. Quinine is made from the bark of the Cinchona tree and was first formulated in the 17th century.
Quinine works by killing off the malarial parasite that lives in the patient’s red blood cells. Quinine is very successful in fighting malaria, completely alleviating symptoms for most patients. It was widely used until the 1940s, when other antimalarial drugs were developed that led to a more permanent cure for malaria.
“quinine.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 15th ed. 2010. Vol 9, pg 862.
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