Western Civilization II / Unit 13 WC2 1203 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Telegraphs and Quinine: Distance and Disease Conquered
Captions available
The idea
A message from England to India and its reply had taken up to two years; the telegraph made it two days, the anchor says. Africa's interior had been "the white man's graveyard", malaria killing within a year. From eighteen forty-one daily quinine prevented it.
In practice
Steamboats then ran up rivers no sail could.
Where people slip
The two-years figure is anchor-only.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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