Deep in the Andean rainforest, indigenous peoples discovered a remedy that later became a major tool of European imperialism. The Quechua, Cañari, and Chimú peoples have lived in parts of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador for millennia. At high altitudes in the Andes Mountains grows the tall cinchona tree. Early indigenous botanists discovered that grinding its bark into a powder and mixing it with water stopped shivering from cold or fever.
Meanwhile, malaria plagued people across the world for centuries. It ravaged empires and killed millions. Medieval remedies reflected the false belief that it was an airborne disease and ranged from bloodletting to limb amputations. In the seventeenth century, Spanish Jesuits arrived in Peru and suffered from violent shivering. The Quechua recognized the symptoms and shared the bark with them.
Miraculously, the patients recovered. The bark contained quinine, which kills the malaria parasite. The Quechua had introduced the first effective treatment for malaria. Ironically, European soldiers engaged in colonial wars frequently died of the disease. Quinine enabled soldiers to survive in tropical colonies and win wars. Obtaining supplies became a strategic advantage in the race for global domination. What started as an act of compassion by the Quechua ended up hurting indigenous peoples worldwide.
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