The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-07-20
Tile NeH: Cancer Cure.
A SUPPLY EXPECTED IN AUGUsT-How 1T is
OBTAINED:

No discovery iii the medical world could be
received with greater rejoicing cure tor con-
sumption, perhaps, excepted-than the new
cancer remedy for while cancers are less tre-
quently met with than consumption, they pro,
sent g certain; lingering death In its most awful
form, and they are hereditary. 1t IS not SUR
prising then that the announcement OF cure
should call out ihnumerable applications Tor
the cundurango The steamer Ocean Queen,
which arrived at this port from Asplnwall
Saturday, brought Intelligence that large sup
plv of the plant may be expected Ill the Aspln-.
wall steamers due here on the 1st and 10th OF
August
About three months ago the State Depart.
ment at Washington received few pounds OF
the condurango from the Government of Ecua-
dor, through its Minister to this country, with
q communication describing it. But little I'M
portance was attached to the matter at first;
and it might have been neglected altogether,
had not DIR. Bliss been given small quantity
of the plant by the Ecuadorian Minister, who
happened to be under his care. Though skep-
teal as to its virtues, he began to use it III his
practice, and obtained such surprising results
that the limited supply OF the remedy in Wash
ington was soon divided among eager appl-
cants. About fifteen cases Of cancer have been
treated with it in this country, and IN all Its
use has been attended by wonderful improve
ment of the patient, though necessarily small
doses given have been insufficient to produce
its full effects Mrs. Matthews, the mother OF
Vice President Colfax, has been nearly cured
of a cancer which it was feared would end her
life within the year, although she had taken
less than five ounces of cundurango when the
supply gave out. The wife of George G. Cor
ham, Secretary of the Senate, and lady In
Utica. to whom some of the remedy was sent
by Secretary Fish, are among the other suffer
ers whom few ounces have nearly cured. The
mode of administering the plant is very SIM
ple. it being merely STEPPED in boiling water,
and the infusion taken internally.
As the news of the discovery gained circuia-
ton, great number of applications tor the
remedy were sent to Washington from all parts
of the country, twenty or thirty letters a day
being received by Dr. Bliss and an equal num-
Der by the State Department. Many persons,
refusing to believe that the supply was exhaus-
ted. went themselves to Washington from dis
tant points in the fruitless effort to obtain the
precious drug. DIR. Bliss, when convinced that
the cundurango was specific for cancer, sent
an order for 500 pounds of it to business
house in GuayaquiI. He soon learned, how
ever. that as it was not an article OF COM
merce, it was impossible to obtain it by ordi-
nary commercial methods. He therefore dis
patched his partner, DR.. Keene, as an agent
to procure supply. To facilitate his mission,
DIR. Keene was given an official character by an
appointment as bearer Of dispatches to the
Government of Ecuador, and was supplied
with letters of recommendation by President
Grant, Mr.. Cclfaxj Mr.. Fish, and other promi-
nent persons.
He writes that the task of obtaining the cum
durango is more difficult than was expected;
The roads to the Lola district are rough and
unfrequented, the rainy season is not yet over,
the streams ere swollen and dangerous 10 cross,
and the Indians are 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 of procuring
supply of the cundurango in season for it to
reach this port early in August. On arriving
in the Lola district he will hire force of In
dians to gather the plant, and bring it down
from the mountains where it grows at points SO
high as to be Inaccessible to beasts Of burden
1t will then be packed OH mules, and transport
ted to the coast. DIR. Keene found that orders
for cundurango had been received at Guayaquil
from persons in England, France Italy and
other countries, to the Governments of which
the Governments of Ecuador had furnished
samples None of these orders had been filled.
|-Ney York Tribune.