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From: vida@bu-geo.tmc.edu (Vida Jakabhazy)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.environment
Subject: Quinine
Summary: What the heck am I drinking?
Keywords: quinine, amazonian forests
Message-ID: <71500@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 3 Jan 91 00:18:12 GMT
Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu
Followup-To: sci.bio
Organization: Boston University Center for Remote Sensing
Lines: 19

Occasionally, I will purchase tonic water and now that I'm married, hubby
drinks lots.  I've always known that it contains quinine which is used to
cure malaria, however, I never knew where it came from.  Flipped open the
handy-dandy dictionary and found:

n: a bitter white salt obtained from cinochona bark and used esp. in
treating malaria

I asked the next best source of info where cinochona(i) are found.  My
husband thinks that it is a south american tree.  If it is, does this mean
that I'm assisting in the destruction of tropical forests?  I mean, removing
bark from a tree is a real effective way of killing it.  

If anyone knows more about it, please post.

Thanks very much,

Vida Jakabhazy
vida@bu-geo.bu.edu