cinchona

3 definitions found

cinchona - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  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.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Med.) The bark of any species of Cinchona containing
        three per cent. or more of bitter febrifuge alkaloids;
        Peruvian bark; Jesuits' bark.
        [1913 Webster]

cinchona - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  cinchona
      n 1: medicinal bark of cinchona trees; source of quinine and
           quinidine [syn: cinchona, cinchona bark, Peruvian bark
           , Jesuit's bark]
      2: any of several trees of the genus Cinchona [syn: cinchona,
         chinchona]