A Mighty Tree
Written by Maria Garcia. Edited by Rosa V. Espinoza
The Cinchona officinalis tree, now endangered, has a turbulent and egregious history. You might think you haven't heard of this plant, but you're likely familiar with quinine, a substance from its bark that cures malaria. This plant's story is bittersweet: it has saved many lives and continues to do so. Today, half the world's population lives in areas where malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes carrying the Plasmodium parasite. However, a lack of foresight, greed, or both have led to the near disappearance of this ancient tree. With some types of malaria now resistant to lab-developed drugs, we need quinine once again.
Today, scientists believe that centuries of harvesting has changed the genetic structure of cinchona plants in the Andes (Credit: Celso Roldan/Getty Images)
Despite Amazonian native tribes knowing about cinchona and its properties, it was called Jesuits’ Powder after Spanish monks began using it in the 17th century. A romantic legend tells of the Countess of Cinchona, a Spanish noblewoman married to the viceroy of Peru, who was cured of a fever by a bitter concoction prepared by Jesuits, including powdered bark of the Andean tree mixed with herbs. While historians doubt this story, it is true that quinine gained popularity among Europeans.
As Europeans hired locals to harvest more quinine to fuel their colonial pursuits, cinchona trees became increasingly scarce (Credit: Universal History Archive/Getty Images)
In the 19th century, countless soldiers survived and won wars, enabling further colonization, thanks to quinine. Scientists refer to it as one of the major tools of imperialism. Despite its lifesaving properties, the tree was eventually replaced in the 1970s by artemisinin, a modern malaria remedy. While the quinine trade benefitted colonized countries, allowing places like Peru and Bolivia to build grand city centers and cathedrals, it also had catastrophic consequences on the native habitat.
At the start of the 19th century, explorers documented around 2,500 trees in the Ecuadorian Andes. Today, only 29 remain in the same area. Ironically, in the Galapagos Islands, Cinchona pubescens grew uncontrollably, posing a threat to native plants. In 2018, efforts by the Galapagos National Park Directorate significantly reduced this red cinchona population using chemical and manual methods, turning it into timber. However, this remains an ongoing problem requiring constant vigilance.
The story of cinchona and quinine exemplifies the importance of respecting biodiversity for human health and survival. Local conservation groups must get involved in projects to protect Mother Nature. What we call alternative medicine today is much more than that. Quinine saved lives and changed history, teaching us a valuable lesson.
We must protect our rainforests, not only because they deserve it, but because both indigenous peoples and those of us in developed countries need them, even if we sometimes forget in the whirlwind of our everyday lives.
