Cinchona, feverbark, was nearly made extinct from over-collection of it in the Andes jungles. What disease was it used to cure?
Spoiler The bark from these trees was used as the anti-malarial compound quinine which interferes with the reproduction of malaria-causing protozoa.
Native of the Peruvian rainforest, the cinchona tree (Cinchona officinalis) bark is used to extract quinine, a cure malaria. It is also used for a multitude of other abnormalities including fever, indigestion, diarrhea, flu, mouth and throat diseases, and hangovers. Jerry
