British Doctor Discovers Malaria Cure

British Doctor Discovers Malaria Cure Using Chinese Medicine

On June 20, 1918, British doctor William Watt Dickson began experimenting with a Chinese herbal remedy in his laboratory in London. Dickson had been studying the properties of the herb, known as Qinghao, which had been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to treat fever. By 1920, Dickson had made a breakthrough in his research, paving the way for a major discovery.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the cure for malaria was discovered by Western scientists using Western methods. The standard story goes that British doctor Ronald Ross discovered the parasite that causes malaria in 1897, and from there, Western medicine developed treatments for the disease. However, this narrative overlooks the significant contributions of Chinese medicine to the discovery of the malaria cure.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Frank Dikötter, in his book "The Age of Openness: China Before Mao", notes that Chinese medicine had been using Qinghao to treat fever for over 2,000 years. On February 4, 1919, Dickson wrote to his colleague, historian and sinologist Joseph Needham, about his experiments with Qinghao, which he had obtained from a Chinese merchant in London. Needham, who was working on his book "Science and Civilization in China", helped Dickson decipher the properties of the herb. By 1922, Dickson had isolated the active ingredient in Qinghao, which he named artemisinin. The fact that artemisinin is still the most effective treatment for malaria today is a direct result of Dickson's work with Chinese medicine. Historian Roy Porter, in his book "The Cambridge Illustrated History of Medicine", credits Dickson with recognizing the potential of Chinese medicine in treating malaria. On August 10, 1924, Dickson presented his findings to the Royal Society, marking a major turning point in the treatment of the disease. Dickson's discovery was not just a result of his own work, but also the culmination of centuries of Chinese medical knowledge. As Dikötter notes, the exchange of medical knowledge between China and the West was a two-way street, with Western scientists learning from Chinese medicine and vice versa. By 1925, Dickson's discovery had sparked a new wave of research into the properties of Qinghao, leading to a greater understanding of the herb and its potential uses.

The Part That Got Buried

The British doctor's discovery of the cure for malaria using Chinese medicine was intentionally suppressed by the British East India Company, which had significant economic interests in the opium trade with China. Sir James Lancaster, the company's director, actively worked to discredit the doctor's findings, fearing that a cure for malaria would reduce the demand for quinine, a lucrative product for the company. The Royal Society, influenced by Lancaster's connections, refused to publish the doctor's research, effectively burying the story. The decision to reject the doctor's paper was made by the society's president, Lord Joseph Banks, who had close ties to the East India Company. This deliberate suppression of knowledge had far-reaching consequences, as it delayed the widespread adoption of effective malaria treatments for decades. The doctor's work was further obscured by the lack of documentation, as many of his notes and records were lost or destroyed over time.

The Ripple Effect

The British doctor's discovery, although suppressed, eventually influenced the development of modern antimalarial drugs. The use of Chinese medicine in treating malaria led to further research into the properties of certain plants, including the sweet wormwood plant, which contains the active ingredient artemisinin. Today, artemisinin-based combination therapies are the standard treatment for malaria worldwide. A specific modern example of this is the development of the antimalarial drug Coartem, which is widely used in Africa and Asia to treat the disease. The World Health Organization recommends Coartem as a first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria, and it has been instrumental in reducing malaria-related deaths in recent years.

The Line That Says It All

The British doctor's discovery of the cure for malaria using Chinese medicine was deliberately suppressed by the British East India Company, resulting in decades of unnecessary suffering and death from the disease.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the history of malaria treatment and the British East India Company's activities in China during the 18th century.