‘New’ malaria drug has a free-flowing effect

I HEARD on the television news (June 29) that a nun in Tanzania had discovered a new drug for malaria, and got the attention of some notable public figures.

Strange to say, we knew of it in west Africa upwards of 50 years ago. The plant was known there as kinkiliba. The extract was known as tissane (tea), and the action of the drug was explained to me in ‘pidgin’ English as, “yo get — how yo say? — beeg, beeg pees” which, I think, speaks for itself.

Rev Patrick J Twohig

Parochial House

Churchtown

Mallow

Co Cork