From the 17th century, Cinchona figured prominently in European pharmacopiae. Many European countries were frantically after Cinchona in the early 18th century. In the 18th century, a search for this tree occurred consistently. The usefulness of the bark of Cinchona in treating fevers was established and the European medical personnel were exploring for substitutes, driven by the following reasons: trade monopolies necessitated the search for species that had similar chemical properties, and a substitute for Cinchona bark would help reducing pressure on Cinchona production and its alkaloids.