The Portland daily press., 1871-07-07
A New Specific for C.uc.r
A SUPPLY OF cUNDURANeo TO ARRIVE TN
AUGUST.


From the N. Y Evening Post
The steamer Ocean Queen, which arrived at
this port froE, AspiLwall on Saturday, brought
intelligence that large supply of the cundu.
range, the South American plant which has
lately excited such attention as remedy for
cancer, may be expected in the Aspinwall
steamers due here on the first and fifteenth
OF August. This information was sent to
Dr. ID. w. Bliss, of Washington, by his par
her, DIR. Keene, who went to South America
ior the express purpose of procuring a supply
OF this new remedy.
The history of this important medical dis
covery is singular one. The plant grows in
Lola district of Ecuador, about fourteen DAYS
journey from Guayquil, and is found only ON
the highest peaks of the mountains. The
name is Indian, and signifies 'condor's pestn
being applied either from the altitude At
whicn II grows, or from some fancied resein-
Dlance in its shape to the nest of that bird.
1t is a large, bushy shrub, composed of numer-
Gus stalks springing from single root, and
bears fruit which is extremely poisonous.
The latter circumstance, strangely enough, led
to the discovery of its virtues About three
sufferer from cancer, and his wife, for some
reason, concluded to poison him, and to use
the candurango for that purpose. As the fruit
was then out of season, she took the bark as
sne next best thing, and made a decoction
from II, which she gave her husband. Re-
peated doses, instead of producing death,
causeu tnG Ihuiah 10 rapidly recover of his
cancer. The remarkable cure excited atten-
tion, its cause became known, and the Indians
OF the Lola district used the remedy with such
success that its fame reached more civilized
parts OF the country, The physicians of Quito
began experimenting with it, and were so sue
cessfu that they addressedla communicationto
the government OF Ecuador, describing its eff
fects. The report stated that every case of
cancer treated with it had resulted in com.
pete cure, and the plant was said 70 be also
valuable for all disease of the skin and blood.
About three months ago the State Depart
ment at Washington received a few pounds OF
The cundurango from the government of Ecua-
dor, through its minister to this country, with
communication describing it, But little I'm
portance was sttached to the matter at first.
and 1t might have been neglected altogether
had not DR.. Bliss been given a small quantity
OF the plant by the Ecuadorian minister. who
happened to be under his care. Though
skeptical as to its virtues, he began to use il
in his practice, and obtained such surprising
results that the limited supply of the remedy
in Washington was soon divided among eager
applicants. About fifteen cases of cancer
have been treated with il in this country. and
in all its use has been attended, we are assur-
ed, by wonderful improvement of the pa
tien', though the necessarily small doses given
have been insufficient to produce its full ef-
fects.
Mrs. Matthews, the mother of Vice-Presi-
dent COfax, has been nearly cured of a can
Ger which it was feared would end her life
within the year, although she had taken less
than five ounces of the cundurango when
the supply gave out. The wife of George @.
Gorham, Secretary of the Senate, and a lady
in Utica, to whom some of the remedy was
sent by Secretary Fish, are among the other
sufferers from cancer whom few ounces
have nearly cured. The mode of administer
ing the plant is very simple, it being merely
stepped in boiling water, and the infusion
taken internally. 48a
As the news of the discovery gained circu.
latlon great many applications for the rem
edy were sent to Washington from all parts
OF the county, twenty or thirty letters day
being received by Dr. Bliss, and an equal
number by the State Department.. Many
persons, refusing to believe that the supply
was exhausted, went themselves to Washing.
ton from distant points, in the fruitless effort
to obtain the precious drug. DIR. Bliss, when
convinced that the cunduIango was a specific
for cancer, sent an order for five hundred
pounds of it TO a business house in Guaya-
quill. He soon learned, however, that as it
was not an article of commerce it was i'm
possible to obtain it by ordinary commercial
methods. He therefore despatched his part
ner, DIR. keene, as an agent to procure sup
ply. To facilitate his mission DIR. Keene was
given an loficial character as bearer of des-
patches to the government of Ecuador and
was supplied with letters OF recommendation
by President Grant, Mr.. COlfax, Mr.. Fish and
other prominent persons.
He writes that the task of obtaining the
cundurango is more difficult than was expect
ed. The roads to the Lola district are rough
and unfrequented, the rainy season is not yet
over, the streams are swollen and dangerous
to cross, and the Indians disposed to throw
every obstacle in the way of foreigners, of
whom they are deeply jealous and suspicious.
However, when he wrote he was ON the point
OF starting for the interior, and was confident
season for it to reach this port early in Au-
gust On arriving in the Lola district he
would hire force of Indians to gather the
plant aud bring it down from the mountains,
where it grows at points so high as to be in
accessible to beasts OF burden. 1t will then
be packed ON mules and transported to the
coast.
DIR. Keene found that orders for cuaduran-
go had been received at Guayaquil from per
SONS in England, France, Italy and other
countries, to the governments OF which the
government of Ecuador had furnished sam
Piles. None of these orders had been filled.
Ex-Governor ]. L. Gibbs, of Idaho, sailed
from this port for Ecuador last week, DR..
Bliss having engaged his services in aid OF
those of DIR. Keene.