Search for an Antimalarial Drug in the Indigenous Materia Medica

/for substitutes which can be used with the same degree of efficiency as quinine. In view of the already established antimalarial value of synthetic derivatives, e.g., Atebrin (Mepacrine Hydrochloride, B. P. Addendum, 1940) and Plasmochin (Pamaquin, B. P. Addendum, 1940), attempts have been made in India to synthesize these products and it is reported that a certain amount of success has already been achieved in this direction. The limitation of synthetic antimalarials, as far as production in India is concerned, is obvious, in that quite a large number of basic and intermediate chemicals necessary for synthesis have to be imported from foreign countries. It seemed worth while, therefore, to explore, by modern scientific methods of investigation, the possibilities of finding a substitute, if possible, from the indigenous materia medica. A number of natural drugs have enjoyed a local reputation as febrifuges and antimalarial remedies for a long time. The present paper deals with one member of this group, Alstonia scholaris (N. 0. Apocynaceae), the vernacular (Hindi and Bengali) synonym of which is ' chhatim \