QUININE SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 289, 4 September 1942, Page 6

QUININE SUPPLIES

Use As, Anti-Malarial Agent Only RESTRICTION IMPOSED The use of quinine except as an antimalarial agent is restricted by a notice published, iii last night’s Gazette. The Minister: of . Supply, and Munitions, Mr. Sullivan, stated'that similar legislation had been enacted in America and Australia, and that it had become necessary to control the distribution of this drug in this Dominion in order that supplies would be conserved for fighting forces noxv engaged in malarial, countries.

“Java; from which. 90 per cent, of the world’s quinine supplies came in the past, is now* under the control of the enemy,’’; said the Minister, “and though cultivation of the Cinchona tree from which the drug is obtained is in the experimental stage in other countries, supplies of quinine from these sources cannot be expected for some years. Quinine has other uses in medicine 'but is replaceable by other drugs.”

The-Minister added that the importance of maintaining supplies of quinine could not lie over-estimated, as though other substitutes were used in the treatment of malaria they were not as afficieiit.as quinine. The quantity of quinine required for armies fighting in tropical countries was very large. The Minister appealed for the co-operation of all persons who held ' stocks of quinine and Its salts in complying with the Gazette notice and conserving their stocks for anti-malaria purposes -only.