To The Alcohol and Temperance History Group: I am a physician working in the field of tropical medicine, and was referred to your group by Andrea Mitchell (Berkeley, CA). I have been doing some research into the history of quinine, and this research has led me to (among other places) India. It is often stated, without documentation, that expatriates invented and drank gin and tonics in India as a malaria preventive. Sparkling quinine tonic water appears to have originated about 1859, the patent for this having been secured by Erasmus Bond. However, quinine was considered to act as a "tonic" in small doses (such as are found in tonic water), and it is not clear if this drink had anything to do with malaria. At any rate I have been unable to find information on the origin of the gin and tonic (through computer library and data-base searches), and in particular its use in India in the 19th century and its relation to health. I would be most apreciative if this inquiry could be disseminated to your members, or alternatively if you could tell me how to do that myself. And I would be very grateful for any leads or information your group could share. Gordon Frierson MD Dept. of Medicine Univ of California Medical Cntr San Francisco [log in to unmask]