160.00€
Rare Greek illustrated pharmaceutical/public-health pamphlet issued by Bayer, probably in the 1930s, supported particularly by the reference to Chinoplasmin / Chinoplasmine (Κινοπλασμίνη).
An evocative and scarce piece of Greek medical, pharmaceutical and public-health ephemera, concerning one of the most serious infectious diseases in Greece during the first half of the 20th century.
The booklet, entitled «Κάτι γιά τήν Ἑλονοσία» (Something About Malaria), was produced in Greek and associated with Bayer’s anti-malarial pharmaceutical campaign, promoting knowledge about malaria and its prevention and treatment.
The striking illustrated cover depicts a marshland landscape with reeds, standing water and numerous mosquitoes, beneath a dramatically coloured sky. The imagery directly evokes the environmental conditions historically associated with malaria transmission.
Historical background
Malaria was a major public-health problem in Greece, particularly in areas characterized by marshes, stagnant water, wetlands and agricultural drainage channels. The disease had a profound impact on rural communities and remained an important concern well into the 20th century.
Public-health campaigns therefore combined several approaches: education about the mosquito vector, reduction of mosquito breeding grounds, protection from mosquito bites and the distribution/use of anti-malarial medicines.
The present booklet is especially interesting because it sits at the intersection of commercial pharmaceutical advertising and public-health education. Bayer’s anti-malarial products included Plasmochin and Chinoplasmin, the latter combining plasmochin with quinine. Historical pharmaceutical literature identifies Chinoplasmin as a Bayer/I.G. Farben preparation dating to around 1930.
Thus, this is more than an ordinary pharmaceutical advertisement: it is a small surviving document of the period’s efforts to communicate modern medical knowledge to the public.
Details:
Title: Κάτι γιά τήν Ἑλονοσία
English: Something About Malaria
Language: Greek
Publisher/Company: Bayer
Date: circa 1930s, undated
Format: Illustrated pamphlet
Extent: 12 pages
Pagination: Unpaginated
Dimensions: approximately 18.5 cm × 13 cm
Subject: Malaria, public health, mosquito-borne disease, anti-malarial treatment
Binding: Original printed paper wrappers
Condition
Good vintage/antique condition for its age.
The original illustrated cover is present and retains its striking period artwork. There is age-related toning, light soiling, edge wear/fraying and minor creasing, with some small imperfections to the paper consistent with a fragile pamphlet of this period. The binding remains intact.
Please study all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the description and show the actual condition of the item.
Collectability
An appealing and unusual piece of Greek pharmaceutical ephemera and medical history, particularly suitable for collectors of:
Greek medical history
Pharmaceutical advertising
Bayer memorabilia
Malaria and tropical medicine
Public-health history
Greek printed ephemera
20th-century scientific and medical illustration
Advertising history
The combination of Greek language, Bayer pharmaceutical provenance, malaria subject matter, striking illustrated cover and probable 1930s date makes this an especially interesting survivor of interwar-era public-health communication.
