Original preparation of quinine hydrochloride, France, 1810-1840
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In 1820, Pierre Joseph Pelletier (1788-1842), a French chemist, and Joseph Caventou (1795-1877), a French pharmacist, isolated quinine and extracted it from cinchona bark. Cinchona had long been used to treat fevers, most notably malaria. Quinine is what makes the bark so effective as a treatment for the disease. This preparation was made by Pelletier and Caventou and was collected by Captain Peter Johnston-Saint, one of Henry Wellcome’s agents, in 1934. It is shown here with similar examples (A182556 and A182561).
Object number:
A182555
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: bottle
Vessels having a neck and mouth considerably narrower than the body, used for packaging and containing liquid and dry preparations
Glossary: malaria
Parasitic disease transmitted by certain kinds of mosquito. Malaria is characterized by fever and enlargement of the spleen. Each year, there are approximately 515 million cases of malaria, killing between one and three million people.
Glossary: quinine
A substance taken to fight malaria. Quinine is found naturally in the bark of the cinchona tree. It is also an ingredient in tonic water.
Glossary: cinchona
The dried bark of any of the Cinchona trees. Used to stimulate the appetite, prevent bleeding and, in the past, to treat malaria.