Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-01-12
NEW CURE FOR LEPERS.
Account of Discovery and Eff
fcacy of Tua Tua.
PLANT WILL BE PRoPAGATED.

The Bencfcent Qualities of the Herb
Were Brought to Light Through
the Experiences of n Priest In Ven
ezueIa-I. Valuable For other Pur-
poses Than n Leprosy Cure
Uncle Sans 1913 leper subjects in
Hawaii will shortly be delivered from
their terrible bondage and pitiable iso-
IatiOn through aid of a medicinal shrub
Just discovered in Venezuela, says the
Pittsburg Dispatch. This is the proph-
ecy of a number of men who have al
ready studied successful applications
Of the wonderful plant for the cure of
the disease most dreaded by human
beings since early Bible times.
The government authorities at Wash
ington will proceed straiGhtway TO
make thorough test of this new leper
cure. Two dozen of the newly found
plants have arrived at the Hawaiian
agricultural experiment station. where
they will be carefully propa gated and
multiplied and whence fresh seedlings
will he distributed in our leper island,
Molokai. and probably in Guam Sur
geOn ID. y. Carmichael. now represent
Ing our marine hospital service in Ha-
wall, has been sent n half dozen bot
ties of liquid preparations made from
this plant for immediate tests.
The plant is commonly called 'tua
tua" by the natives of Venezuela. but
has been scientifically classified as ia
tropha gOssypifolia. Among some Ven
ezuelans it IS known as "frailejon" or
purge" 1t grows from one to two
yards in length and thriyes upon dry.
sandy soil mixed with clay in the val
leys of Venezuela. The leaves and
stems are of beautiful purple. as are
the blossoms while in bloom. 1t bears
fruit I'm the form of small capsules
third of an inch in diameter. covered
with fuzzy. vclvety hair and each con-
tanning three seeds producing strong
oil. as do also the leaves. The latter.
much like those of cotton. are covered
with minute hairs extending to the leaf
stems. At the end of each hair is a
small gland. In the White House con-
servatory are several of these plants,
where they are priced because of their
great beauty.
In the event that tua tua cures our
lepcrs the credit for its introduction TO
our dulHbIlNitS " III i'C 'ht ~ II.
PIumacher, our consul ut Maracaibo,
Venezuela. His recent discovery of the
plant through n ROmanist priest of
Venezuela makes an interesting story.
This priest, Father A Valderrama, has
n nephew who became a leper four
years ago. He contracted the disease
by Il few nights stay ut the house of
another leper. Father Naldcrrana was
called about n year ago to confess an
old man in his community who was
known to have suffered from leprOsy
for 20 years. The old leper related to
his confeSSor how he was being cured
of his torment and exhibited his heal
ing sores. This" he said. Il owe to an
herb called tua tua. found in abun-
dance around here"
The priest Immediately rented Il small
house in the neighborhoOd and COM
mcnced operations upon his nephew.
whose flesh recovered its SOftncSS and
natural color. and later his whole as
poet became that of a healthy person.
At the time the priests report closed
the older leper was also fast recover |
ing. The virtues of tua tua have al |
ready become so well recognized in |
Venezuela that Il chemist of NIaracaibO !
has commenced the preparation of two |
forms of leprosy cure therefrom.
Mr.. Chestnut. one of the botanical |
specialists of the agricultural depart |
ment, after examining specimens of |
.ua tua. finds that ii is not confined to |
but is widely distributed in |
South and Central America and in the |
West Indies. 1t has been previously |
Known To him as an antidOtc for machi- |
leel. n West Indian plant very poison
Dus TO the touch. Its value for various |
purposes other than the cure of leprosy |
las been known to the natives of South |
America for some time. They apply |
he leaf as a poultice or plaster for bro
zen limbs. \ decoction made there
rom is used in small doses as a diu-
'etic. while n milky liquid produced
rom the bark is found valuable for
poisoning dogs.
When Mr.. L. Guichard. the Key West
chemist. was lately travelling in Cuba,
le made observations which led him to
irmly believe that the bark of the red
nangrove bush could be applied as an
Efficient cure for leprosy. Returning
o Key West, he brought the matter to
he attention Of n practicing physician,
md number of interesting tests were
made. They macerated n
lalf ounce of the bark for IL hours in
tx ounces of water and administered
t in three doses each day of treatment
they also compounded the beneficial
Ingredients into pills and into salve.
FOUR leperS have been completely cured
With this treatment.
Inasmuch as the remedy is easily OBJ
aimed from the raw bark of the tree.
here is no sinister motive in the report
T the observations to the department
he red mangrove. known in scientific
argon as Rhizaphora manSle, is a
mall tree abundant along the sea-
hores of the West Indies and of Flor