A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Cinchon, Countess of
CINCHON, COUNTESS OF,
The wife of the viceroy of Peru, was the first person who brought the Peruvian bark to Europe, and made known its virtues. This took place in 1632. In honour of her, Linnaeus gave the name of Cinchona to the genus of plants by which the bark is produced.