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cinchona

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cinchona


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Peruvian  \Pe*ru"vi*an\,  a.  [Cf.  F.  p['e]ruvien,  Sp  peruviano.] 
  Of  or  pertaining  to  Peru,  in  South  America.  --  n.  A  native  or 
  an  inhabitant  of  Peru. 
 
  {Peruvian  balsam}.  See  {Balsam  of  Peru},  under  {Balsam}. 
 
  {Peruvian  bark},  the  bitter  bark  of  trees  of  various  species 
  of  Cinchona.  It  acts  as  a  powerful  tonic,  and  is  a  remedy 
  for  malarial  diseases.  This  property  is  due  to  several 
  alkaloids,  as  quinine,  cinchonine,  etc.,  and  their 
  compounds;  --  called  also  {Jesuit's  bark},  and  {cinchona}. 
  See  {Cinchona}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Cinchona  \Cin*cho"na\,  n.  [So  named  from  the  wife  of  Count 
  Chinchon,  viceroy  of  Peru  in  the  seventeenth  century,  who  by 
  its  use  was  freed  from  an  intermittent  fever,  and  after  her 
  return  to  Spain,  contributed  to  the  general  propagation  of 
  this  remedy.] 
  1.  (Bot.)  A  genus  of  trees  growing  naturally  on  the  Andes  in 
  Peru  and  adjacent  countries,  but  now  cultivated  in  the 
  East  Indies,  producing  a  medicinal  bark  of  great  value. 
 
  2.  (Med.)  The  bark  of  any  species  of  {Cinchona}  containing 
  three  per  cent.  or  more  of  bitter  febrifuge  alkaloids; 
  Peruvian  bark;  Jesuits'  bark. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  cinchona 
  n  :  any  of  several  trees  of  the  genus  Cinchona  [syn:  {chinchona}] 




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