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quinine[kwI´nIn´´, kwinEn´] Pronunciation Key, white crystalline alkaloid with a bitter taste. Almost insoluble in water, it dissolves readily in alcohol and other organic solvents. It is derived from the bark, called quina quina by the indigenous people of Peru, of several species of Cinchona and is used in the form of a salt, especially the sulfate. Cinchona bark was brought to Europe from South America by the middle of the 17th cent. and quinine was isolated in 1820 by the French chemists J. B. Caventou and P. J. Pelletier; chemical synthesis was achieved in 1944 by R. B. Woodward and W. E. Doering, American chemists. Before the development in recent years of more effective synthetic drugs such as quinacrine, chloroquine, and primaquine, quinine was the specific agent in the treatment of malaria. In recent years, however, certain strains of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum developed a resistance to chloroquine, and quinine again became the preferred drug in certain areas. It was also used to allay fever and pain, to induce uterine contractions during labor, and as a sclerosing, or hardening, agent in the treatment of varicose veins. Quinine is used in soft drinks called tonics, which are often mixed with alcoholic beverages. Excessive dosage or continuous use of quinine may cause cinchonism, characterized by ringing in the ears, headache, dizziness, changes in blood pressure, and even death.
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