Quinine is better as a prophylaxis rather than a treatment - i.e. for preventative or early-stage use, not once it's developed into a bad case. Low doses early

Quinine is better as a prophylaxis rather than a treatment - i.e. for preventative or early-stage use, not once it's developed into a bad case. Low doses early (like in the tonic water of the late 1800s) could help prevent one from catching malaria while avoiding the nasty side effects of larger quinine doses needed for treating an advanced case.