What does quinquina mean?
Quinquina is a historical name associated with the cinchona tree, whose bark was gathered in South America and traded as a remedy for fever, especially malaria. The name can refer to the bark itself, to a cinchona tree, or to the medicinal alkaloid quinine extracted from the bark. Long before purified quinine became available, people prepared bitter infusions from the dried bark. Its adoption into European medicine was an important development in the treatment of malaria, although the drug also caused unpleasant side effects such as tinnitus and nausea. In contemporary writing, quinquina most often appears in historical, botanical, or literary contexts, while quinine is the standard term for the purified compound used in medicine.
nounQuinquina is the bark of a cinchona tree, formerly used as a source of quinine, or the alkaloid drug quinine obtained from such bark. In historical medicine, it was also known as Peruvian bark and was used to treat malaria.
- The alkaloid drug quinine, obtained from cinchona bark.
- The dried bark of a cinchona tree, formerly used as a source of quinine and as a remedy for fever and malaria.
- A cinchona tree, especially in historical or botanical usage.
"European explorers brought quinquina bark from South America, helping to establish quinine as an effective treatment for malaria."
"The physician mixed the quinquina bark with water and administered it as a treatment for fever."
"Later generations relied on purified quinine tablets rather than the bitter bark of the quinquina tree."
The plural is rare and typically occurs in historical or botanical descriptions of distinct trees, bark samples, or preparations.
"Collectors once shipped several quinquinas from South America to European pharmacies."
Before quinine tablets, the bark of the South American cinchona tree was one of the most valuable medicines in the world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does quinquina come from?
The English word quinquina was borrowed from Spanish, in which it is a variant of quina. Spanish quina in turn derives from the Quechua word quinquina, denoting cinchona bark and ultimately the source of the related European words quina and quinine. The native name entered European usage during the period when South American cinchona bark was being introduced as a treatment for fever.
How quinquina is actually used
The term is now largely historical or literary. In modern scientific usage, quinine refers to the extracted alkaloid, while cinchona bark refers to the plant material.
Easily confused with quinquina
Quinine is the specific alkaloid medicinal substance extracted from cinchona bark, whereas quinquina can refer to the bark itself, the drug, or historically to the source tree.