Display case of specimens of cinchona micrantha bark

Specimens of cinchona micrantha bark, of English commerce, 1838, in glazed case, probably from Peru, Howard collection

The display case (second on the left) shows samples of a species of cinchona bark known as cinchona micrantha, 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, A654756 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.