Quinine is a white powder obtained from the bark of Cinchona tree. At first it was used in tonic and alcholic drink. Later it was used as medicine for muscle cramps. Quinine was introduced in Europe around 1640 AD. Its importance was realized when it was used to treat malaria, a dreadly disease even today.

The destruction of cinchona trees to obtain quinine made them rare and so a way of preparing it in the laboratory was required. This was possible in 1944 by Robert Woodward who could know the structure of quinine molecule and synthesized quinine in the laboratory. The synthetic quinine was excellent at reducing malaria fever and it was the only  drug until synthesis of other antimalarial drugs. These drugs preferred to the bark of cinchona tree include chloroquine and mefloquine(Larium). Mefloquine caused serious side effects and parasites started to gain resistance to these drugs.

Malaria has been recognised as a disease for more than 4000 years. The disease is transmitted by Anopheles mosquito. Around 1800 AD, the disease was virtually  eliminated from USA and Europe by eleminating breeding ground for  mosquitoes. However, tropical countries are still having this dreadful disease with 1 million death every year. Quinine obtained from cinchona tree was first rejected by protestants and later accepted when the bark of cinchona could cure King Charles II of England and son of King Louis XIV of France in 1679 AD.

British physician Sir Ronald Ross (1857-1932 AD) discovered that mosquitoes were the sources of malaria. He identified malarial organism in the stomach of female anopheles mosquito in 1897 AD. Ross was born in Nepal and received his medical degree from London. He came to India to solve the Anglo-Burma war. In 1888 he returned to England and began microscopic study of blood of the patients with malaria. In 1899 he joined in the school of tropical medicine and tropical pathology in the University of Liverpool. Ronald Ross received Nobel prize in 1902 for his work on malaria.

Swiss chemist Paul Muller discovered insecticide like DDT(Dichloro Dipheryl Trichloroethane) in 1939 that killed mosquitoes. It is found that DDT also showed resistance to mosquitoes.

Now-a-days for any fever, a patient is given malaria treatment for it could cause brain malaria leading to death. In 1987    Dr. M. Patarroyo developed synthetic vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum parasite. The vaccine has been donated to WHO in 1992 for international use.

            Malaria is caused by a parasite Plasmodium Vivax which is carried by mosquitoes in tropical climate. It causes severe fever which goes through cycles of 48 to72 hours. In 1957 countries of the whole world set forth a target to eradicate malaria parasite  from the mother earth. In 1974 the programme failed due to resistance of insecticides and drugs. Efforts are now made only to control the disease rather than eradicate it completely. It appears therefore quinine and its derivatives could save thousands of lives which would have otherwise destroyed.