Saturday, April 11, 2020

Ginger Rogers' Ancestor Developed Precursor to Hydroxychloroquine


Dr. John S Sappington, the great-great-paternal grandfather of Ginger Rogers, developed an anti-malaria pill from Quinine.

Sappington was a wealthy landowner, entrepreneur, and Doctor who moved to Missouri on the advice of his friend U.S. Senator and famous artist Thomas Hart Benton. Benton told Sappington that the Missouri Territory was an area where large pieces of land could be purchased at low prices from the U.S. government.

The Sappington family moved to a farm outside of Arrow Rock called the Boonslick region in 1819. Arrow Rock is located near the central part of Missouri near the Missouri River. His stores sold goods to travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Sappington's enterprises included milling lumber, processing salt, loaning money, farming, importing goods and medicines, and practicing medicine. He began importing cinchona bark as early as 1820, but it was years later that he discovered its use against malarial fever, which was a major health problem along the Missouri River.

In 1832, using quinine taken from cinchona bark, Sappington developed a pill to cure a variety of fevers, such as scarlet fever, yellow fever, and influenza. He sold “Dr. Sappington's Anti-Fever Pills” across Missouri. Demand became so great that within three years Dr. Sappington founded a new company known as Sappington and Sons to sell his anti-fever pills nationwide.


Interestingly, Hydroxychloroquine, a modified version of the drug, is now being used to treat people with Coronavirus.

More info here: https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/s/sappington/

Dr. Sappington was the Great-Great Grandfather of Ginger Rogers on her father, William Eddings McMath's side. He was married to Jane Breathitt Sappington. Two of Sappington's sons-in-law served as governor of Missouri, largely due to Dr. Sappington's money and influence.

Note: Both paintings in this article were done by Thomas Hart Benton. 

Sappington Museum Information: http://friendsofarrowrock.org/properties/

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