The first medical treatise published in Missouri and the first medical treatise published west of the Mississippi River.

"John Sappington provided medical services, was a financial lender, and imported and exported goods to the Missouri area. He established two stores near Arrow Rock that sold goods, loaned money, processed salt, and milled lumber.^[3] Once he had achieved financial success, Sappington was able to be more experimental with his medical practice. He focused his energy on the bark of the cinchona tree, the substance used to create quinine. Malaria, scarlet fever, yellow fever, and influenza, were prominent along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Sappington developed a preventative pill using quinine that was soon in demand across the country. It was marketed as an anti-fever pill, but Sappington also instructed some of his relatives to take the pills to prevent malaria.^[3] Most physicians were still treating malaria by bloodletting the patient and administering calomel.^[1] Sappington’s pill to prevent malaria—and also used to cure malaria—was controversial due to its novelty and unfamiliarity.^[4] The pill remained in high demand, however, and many other physicians began to develop their own anti-malaria pills after Sappington published the formula in his medical treatise, “Theory and Treatment of Fevers.”^[5] He is often regarded as the first physician to successfully and effectively use quinine to treat malaria.^[4] "(Wikipedia article on John Sappington, accessed 04-2018).

Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link.