Hi, My name is Nancy, I’m the Museum Manager here at the Mütter Museum.
Today, we’re taking the history of medicine out of the museum,
and into the bar to discuss how disease and medical treatments have influenced how
we imbibe today. It’s a historical happy hour, and this time, we’re discussing antimalarials.
Malaria is a deadly mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasitic
single-celled microorganisms. When an infected mosquito bites a person,
its saliva introduces the parasites into that person’s blood. The parasites then
travel to the liver where they mature and infect red blood cells. Malaria symptoms
include fever, tiredness, vomiting, headaches, and in severe cases it can cause seizures, coma,
or death. Malaria is most common in tropical and subtropical regions- today, most of us from the
Northern Hemisphere are most at risk while on vacation in a warmer climate. Despite effective
antimalarials and treatments being available, in 2018 there were 228 million cases of malaria
worldwide and 405,000 deaths- but in the 19th century malaria was an even bigger problem.
Quinine is a basic amine chemical first isolated in 1820 from its main source,
the bark of a cinchona tree. Bark extracts had been used to treat malaria since at least 1632.
In the 1740s Scottish doctor George Cleghorn discovered that quinine specifically could be
used to prevent and treat the disease. Quinine doesn’t taste very good- it is very bitter. The
Quinine tablets in this medicine kit are actually chocolate coated! Talk about a spoon full of
sugar. So, enter a modern cocktail staple- the Gin & Tonic. This cocktail was invented in the 1820s
by soldiers of the British East India Company in India thanks to that bitter antimalarial. These
army folks were not on vacation- they were at war to extend British colonial control in India.
They drank their quinine in tonic water, which had an unpleasant bitter taste. The soldiers
were given a ration of gin, so they began mixing the two together. Throw in a mixture of water,
sugar, and lime, and voila! The gin and tonic is born. Since it is no longer used
as an antimalarial- we have a selection of more effective agents available today,
though the tablets are still notoriously large- tonic water today contains much less quinine,
is usually sweetened, and is consequently much less bitter. Your nightcap no longer has enough
quinine to prevent Malaria, but it may still help you out with “Charlie Horse” muscle cramps-though
ask your doctor about tonic water if your calves also spasm in the night! The medicinal use of
wormwood, or “Artemisia Absinthium” which is the central ingredient and flavor in Absinthe,
dates back to ancient Egypt and Greece. An herb, wormwood leaves and oil were used internally to
treat various digestion issues , parasites, and cancers and externally for osteoarthritis due to
the naturally occurring chemical components present, most notably Thujone. Thujone is a
toxic monoterpene compound which excites the central nervous system- it can be a stimulant
is small quantities, but cause seizures and death in large quantities. Today, wormwood is primarily
a homeopathic or traditional option used in small quantities with low amounts of thujone present.
Historically, absinthe first became popular in the 1840s after it was prescribed to French
Troops fighting the Ottoman Empire for conquest of Algeria- once again to prevent malaria. The
thujone would somewhat effectively kill the small mosquito-borne parasites before large people- and
the troops brought their recreational taste for it back to France. The first evidence of absinthe as
both a beverage and a remedy dates to the 18th century. According to one version of events,
French Dr. Pierre Ordinaire invented it as cure-all medicine shortly after
the French Revolution. He traveled around Couvet, Switzerland, selling it as treatment for epilepsy,
gout, kidney stones, and other conditions. By 1792, the Henriod Sisters, who lived in Couvet,
had obtained Ordinaire's recipe and began selling it as a medicinal elixir. However,
it’s also possible that the Henriod sisters were making their elixir before Ordinaire's arrival.
Either way, the Henriod Sisters sold their formula to a “Major Dubied” in 1797, who then
opened the first known absinthe distillery. His brand eventually became known as “Pernod
Fils,” and remained one of the most popular brands of absinthe all the way up until 1914,
when the drink was finally banned in France. Absinthe had a particularly bad reputation
among alcohols due to that thujone, which would in large quantities occasionally cause hallucinations
along with the other neurological effects- these visions gave absinthe the nickname of “the green
fairy.” Between the banning of Absinthe and the development of better anti-malarials,
Absinthe is no longer considered a medicine- though certain grandmas might still suggest
the licorice-y beverage for a stomachache. So, two of our favorite adult beverages owe
their popularity to a parasitic single cell microorganism. Who’d have thought? Today,
those of us over the age of 21 are hopefully lucky to imbibe for pleasure, not necessity. For more
information on infectious diseases then and now, visit us in person online at the Mütter Museum!
Stay tuned for more videos about the medicinal origins of some of your barroom favorites.
Like, comment, and subscribe, and until next time, stay safe and disturbingly informed!