Cylindrical glass bottle containing quinine hydrochloride

Made:
1914-1920 in Japan

Cylindrical glass bottle with cork stopper, contains quinine hydrochloride, English (?), 1914-1920. Japanese label reads "Japanese Pharmacopoeia. Quinine hydrochloride. Contains 200g"

This glass bottle contains quinine hydrochloride, an anti-malaria treatment.

As new European empires expanded, control of tropical diseases such as malaria was seen as crucial. Those sent out to seize new colonies needed to stay healthy. In India alone, the British government was using nine tons of quinine annually by 1850.

Today there continues to be around 500 million cases of malaria annually, with at least 1 million deaths. Around 40% of the world’s population remain at risk from malaria and every day close to 3000 children die of it.

Details

Category:
Materia Medica & Pharmacology
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A655023
Materials:
glass and cork
Measurements:
overall: 148 mm 56 mm, .16 kg
type:
bottles
credit:
Loan, Wellcome Trust