- published: 28 Jan 2011
- views: 6472
Quinine (US /ˈkwaɪnaɪn/, UK /ˈkwɪniːn/ or /kwɪˈniːn/ KWIN-een) is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic (fever-reducing), antimalarial, analgesic (painkilling), anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic. Quinine contains two major fused-ring systems: the aromatic quinoline and the bicyclic quinuclidine.
Though it has been synthesized in the lab, quinine occurs naturally in the bark of the cinchona tree. The medicinal properties of the cinchona tree were originally discovered by the Quechua, who are indigenous to Peru and Bolivia; later, the Jesuits were the first to bring the cinchona to Europe.
Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, appearing in therapeutics in the 17th century. It remained the antimalarial drug of choice until the 1940s, when other drugs replaced it that have less unpleasant side effects. Since then, many effective antimalarials have been introduced, although quinine is still used to treat the disease in certain critical circumstances, such as severe malaria, and in impoverished regions due to its low cost. Quinine is available with a prescription in the United States and over-the-counter, in very small quantities, in tonic water. Quinine is also used to treat lupus and arthritis. Quinine was also frequently prescribed in the U.S. as an "off-label" treatment for nocturnal leg cramps, but this has since been prohibited, in effect, by an FDA statement warning against the practice.
Actors: Chuck Norris (miscellaneous crew), Dann Cahn (editor), Lee Van Cleef (actor), Gerald Okamura (actor), Richard Norton (actor), Tracey Walter (actor), Ernie Hudson (actor), Richard Norton (actor), Chuck Norris (actor), Art Hindle (actor), Larry D. Mann (actor), Enrique Lucero (actor), Jack Carter (actor), Mike Norris (actor), Redmond Gleeson (actor),
Plot: Scott's life is plagued by two kinds of flashbacks. First are the childhood memories of the rigorous training he and a friend endured under a martial arts master. The second is of a mission Scott went on that ended with him watching his friend get murdered. Scott later becomes drawn closer to a vicious crime ring known as The Octagon. As he gets closer to the truth, Scott learns that these may be the men that murdered his friend so long ago.
Keywords: action-hero, bare-breasts, beating, blowgun, bo-staff, bodyguard, brawl, brother-vs-brother, brunette, burned-alive