Quinine Attorneys

Quinine - Is Peru the Only Location for its Production?

As most of us have seen, quinine is a substance that was discovered by non-natives, or European explorers, to be exact, in the 17th Century during an exploration of Peru. It's not known for how long the native Peruvians knew of quinine and its health benefits, but since that time, quinine has been in demand all over the world due to its ability to treat malaria, a vicious disease that has killed millions of people all over the world.

Given the demand for this substance, we'd like to take a look at where it's found naturally and where, if anywhere, this substance can be farmed in other parts of the world so that the entire human population is not dependent upon one country to help treat and minimize the effects of malaria.

Native Growth

Quinine is not a plant or a substance in and of itself, but rather it's a mineral-like substance that can be drawn from the bark of the cinchona tree, which grows in Peru without specific cultivation. The bark is generally manufactured and manipulated to extract quinine powder, and once that happens, quinine can be packaged, shipped and used. Quinine can also be formulated in liquid form, but regardless of the end result, quinine is found in the trees of Peru.

Other Attempts

Given the remarkable results that quinine has shown for treating malaria and saving lives, many people have attempted to grow and farm this substance so that they could have an independent supply of it domestically. A few of those attempts have proven successful, but generally, the cinchona tree is native to Peru because of its very specific climate properties that allow the tree to grow, and that same environmental set of properties is rare as you traverse the globe.

For instance, a plant that produces quinine grows in the United States, and it's almost exclusively limited to areas east of the Mississippi River. There are also plants that grow in areas such as Java that have produced quinine, and many European and Asian countries have attempted to produce the substance as well. Generally speaking, these attempts have not yielded the desired results.

Given the demand for quinine, it's no surprise that people are trying to expand its growth. However, expanding its uses has proven to be dangerous. If you have been injured as a result of off-label quinine use, contact a quinine lawyer at Williams Kherkher today to schedule a free initial consultation.