Current Uses
Used traditionally to treat malaria, the current uses of the plant are primarily as a drink additive to make tonic water. Quinine has been synthesized since the 1930s to treat malaria worldwide, but the medicines are proving to ineffective as mosquitoes are developing resistance to them.
Used in Spirits
Precautions
While the extractive compounds of cinchona bark are known to be effective in treating the symptoms of malaria, it should be understood that the therapeutic concentrations of those compounds are much higher than those that are used in the flavoring of beverages like tonic water, bitters, and herbal liqueurs.
Substitutions
Although there is no known additional natural source for the malaria-fighting compounds found in cinchona bark, there are other sources of its piercingly bitter taste, such as: quassia bark (cuasia), angostura bark, and gentian root, all of which are also used in beverages.
History
Origins
One source credits the father of homeopathy, Hahnemann, with the discovery that quinine is an effective cure for malaria (M&M, p.65).