The term “quinism” was coined to describe the disease caused by poisoning by quinoline drugs. These are mefloquine, chloroquine, tafenoquine, we believe, and primaquine, the synthetic drugs used in World War II. This disease is a consequence of what we believe is the inherent toxicity of this class of drug—the quinoline class of drug.
Quinolines make effective anti-malarials, and it just so happens that the quinolines are also toxic in a particular way to the brain.