Quina Roja is the bark of the Cinchona tree and native to the mountainous tropical regions of South America, especially Peru. For centuries, Peruvians, including the Incas used the bark to treat malaria, digestive problems and fevers.
It was the Incas who taught the Spanish how to use the bark. In 1640, the wife of the Viceroy of Peru, the Condesa de Chincón, sent word back to Spain extolling the wondrous powers of the bark. The remedy soon became known as "Chincona" in her honour. Later, the Jesuits brought large quantities of the powdered bark back to Europe, it was sold as "Polvos de la Condessa", translated into English as the Countess's Powders.
In the 19th century, Quinine, a natural product derived from Quina Roja, was in demand because of its antimalarial properties. Under the instruction of August Wilhelm von Hofmann (1818–1892), William Henry Perkin had been experimenting with aniline, a colourless aromatic oil derived from coal tar in an attempt to synthesise quinine. But instead of synthesising quinine, Perkin discovered the purple dye mauveine.
