Quinine Lawyers

Quinine and War - A Key Component in Attrition

Quinine has a long history of helping those who needed it, and in terms of quinine's relationship with the "western world," quinine's benefits date back to its discovery by European explorers in the 17th Century. Since then, quinine's ability to treat malaria, one of history's biggest medical killers up until that point, has created a worldwide demand for the substance that's naturally found in the bark of the cinchona tree, which is native to South America.

Quinine has implicitly been intertwined with several historical chapters around the world as well, and below we'll take a look at one of the many roles quinine has played in literally shaping history - war. Providing this perspective should allow people to understand how quinine is thought of by many as a "miracle" cure for many things, even though the substance has shown itself to be dangerous for medical uses other than for treating malaria.

The Civil War

Disease, like in any war, was quite prevalent during this time period, especially when thousands of men were living in close quarters and open wounds were regularly exposed. Harsh winters took their toll, and a large percentage of casualties were the result of malaria as opposed to combat wounds. Both the Union and Confederate armies had sophisticated shipping and smuggling mechanisms in place to allow quinine to reach the troops and to keep them viable and impervious to death by malaria.

World War I

During "The Great War," German troops were cut off from supply shipments and the trees that supplied quinine, which led to innumerable deaths by malaria. This circumstance forced innovation in order to save the troops, and the Germans came up with Atabrine, a synthetic substitute for quinine.

World War II

Despite the lessons learned in previous wars, malaria continued to be a killer that ravaged troops on both sides, especially in the Pacific theater. In that region, it's estimated that malaria killed five times as many troops as combat wounds. Meticulous and elaborate operations and smuggling missions were put in place in order to get quinine to the troops, as attrition, like every other war, was a huge factor in the ultimate result of the largest war in the history of the world.

Overall, quinine has a rich tradition of saving lives. However, that does not mean that quinine is a good option for every malady, especially leg cramps, as quinine has led to serious side effects when used for such "off-label" purposes. If you have been injured by quinine, contact a quinine attorney at Williams Kherkher today to schedule a free initial consultation.