Display case of specimens of cinchona calisaya bark

Specimens of cinchona calisaya bark, of English commerce, probably from Peru, Howard collection, in glazed case, 1830-1880

The display case (second on the right) shows samples of a species of cinchona bark known as cinchona calisaya, which comes from Peru. It was commercially grown in large amounts for the anti-malaria treatment quinine. These types were sold by English traders. The display cases are from the Howard Collection and were shown at a Wellcome exhibition in 1930, called the Tercentenary Cinchona Exhibition, celebrating the 300-year anniversary of the therapeutic uses of cinchona bark. The case is shown here with similar examples (A654755, A654757 and A654758).

The collection belonged to John Elliot Howard (1807-83). His father, Luke Howard, had established the first British factory to produce quinine in Stratford, east London, in 1823.