On April 10, 1944, Dr. Robert Burns Woodward and Dr. William von
Eggers Doering, at Harvard University, produced synthetic
quinine. Quinine, isolated in 1820 by J.B. Caventou and P.J.
Pelletier, is a white crystalline alkaloid derived from the bark
of several species of trees. Until better drugs were developed,
quinine was the primary treatment for malaria. It was also used
to alleviate fever and pain and induce uterine contractions
during labor. Copyright Aetna InteliHealth, Inc., 2012. All
rights reserved.