The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-07-27
THE NEW CANCER REMEDY.

cure for the cancer, it has certainly
operated in a very lively manner
among the medical profession itself.
The doctors are by the ears over it,
and abusing each other in the most
jaw breaking Latin known to the
books. DIR. Bliss, the well-known
physician of Washington was the first
in this country to give the bark a fair
trial. and as it happened to prove a
success, it Immediately aroused all
the latent jealousy for which the mem
bers of that profession are remarkably
distinguished. Hence the war of
words, pe>tles and mortars, pills and
~lancets! On the strength of cundurango
DR.. Cox has been refused admission
into the Medical Association of WASH
ington. and DIR. Bliss put out for con-
sulting with him-all of which Cox,
and particularly Bliss, a stand with
as much Indifference as any doctor in
America.
What is this cundurango whose
qualities appear to haveisuch belliger-
ent effect in the hands of those who
handle it? Briefly told the story is
something like this: In one of the
mountainous districts of Ecuador, in
South America, an old Indian lived
who was cursed with two Affections
a bad tempered wife and a far-gone
cancer. The old lady finally wearied
of her domestic incuInbrance, and re-
solved to get rid of the cancer and her
afflicted lord with n executive stroke;
but instead of resOrting to a Court Of
Chancery, i'll Chicago or Indiana, h
went out into the woods, like her illus
trious p~rogenitress Eve, and COM
menced hunting for poisonous fruit.
She struck a cundurango tree, whose
berries are deadly, but as the tree hap
pened to bear no fruit, she went to
work stripping off the bark, underline
hallucinatiOn that one was as good for
her purpose as the other. She soaked
the bark in water and gave '.the old
man" a dose, and we presume went to
work at once preparing her widows
~melancholic garb; but to her astonish-
ment the treacherous bark instead of
killing her husband killed the cancer,
and at the last accounts from that
sweet-tempered region the old Indian
still had the best of it. Somehow the
story went to the ears of the medical
fraternity at the Capital, Quito, who
tried the experiment on some of their
patients with wonderful success. The
American Minister, hearing of the
miraculous cures, procured a few
ounces and sent it to Washington for
further trial. The package came into
the hands of DR.. Bliss, and was divided
up among some fifteen patients af-
fiicted with cancer, all of whom
Among these is the mother of Colfax,
the Vice President. inc also the wife
of Geo. &. Gorham, Secretary of the
Senate. Demands came in from all
parts of the country, but the supply
was quickly exhausted, and orders
have gone TO Guayaquil for more. DIR.
Bliss partner, DR. keene, accompanied
by eX-Gov. Gibbs of Idaho, are now
among the Andes in search of the
precious bark. The original bark
came from the district of Lola, in the
interior. a section difficult of access.
Letters from Ecuador however report
that notwithstanding the hostility and
suspicion of the natives asupply would
soon be obtained, and would reach
New York next month. On reaching
Guayaquil the agents found that OIL
ders had been also received from vari-
Gus portions of Europe to which pack
ages had been forwarded at the time
the bark was first sent to Washington.
Thus stand the cundurango case.
1t is claimed by those who have intro
duced it that it has the same command
ing effect over cancer, that quinine has
over fever. Other physicians however
condemn it as Intellectual and worth
less. The dispute will probably be
determined within a few months.
Should the bark prove to be as effica,
cious as its friends claim, it will be an
relief to thousands suffering
from that hitherto fatal disease.