The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-08-23
REMEDY FOUND.
Eastern Plant That Has Wpnder.
ful Healing Power
CURES CONSUMPTION.

greek an Eastern Plant, Which Is
said to DO a Cure and Prcventa-
tive Of All Forms Of Tubcrcu.
losis.
a special to The News and Cour-
Ter from Washington says Secretary
Wilson, of the department of agri-
culture, will soon begin experiment.
ing In the arid lands of Texas on the
famous food called fenugreek, which
scientists the world over are hailinp
as possibly an agency of nature which
VIII combat the ravages OF consumn-
ton.
The virture ascribed to %fenugreek
Is It's ability to build up the very It's
sues that the germs of cons,mption
tear down. Experiments with won
derfully satisfactory results in the
growth of this plant have BEEN mnde
In California, Nebraska and New
Mexico, and the announcement will
soon be made of It's introduction into
tho arid west section of Texas undor
irrigation by the department of az
%rjculture. %
But u short time ago
was almost unknown in America ex-
ccpt as a constituent of condition
powders for grain and vegetable CON
Stunning animals. For perhaps hun
dreds of years, however, 1t has been
known In the East, where 1t has q
widespread use as a food and medi-
cine for both man and beast. It's
main use in that section of the globe
vas what suggested It's introduction
in this country as q cure for cOnsum-
ptiOn.
Since time immemorial the Jewish
maiden of Tunis has been one who
desires much fat and such a dainty
weight as $50 or 800 pounds is a
thing to be desired. With her fat
is welcomed and she never complains
If she tips the scale at $50 or 400.
The time-honOred traditions of their
lot nave handed down the use OF fem
ugreck as a fat forming substance,
and even to-day it is still used.
Physicians recognizing tho fact
that If they can, in treating a con
sumDtivc case, keep ticsh on their
patient the chances for recovery we're
greater, came to the conclusion that
fcnugreck would be of great use to
them. Accordingly 1t was introduce
ed and many report hat they have
used 1t with very satisfactory re-
suits.
The fenugreek plant itself is not
unlike common clover, and, indeed
is easily mistaken for that plant I'M
less the two are closely compared.
The seed of the plant is the part used
in the consumption cure, there being
several ways by which 1t can be pre-
] nOrn1 pnrhonc thn nnSinct VIZ, a.. -
put q tablespoonful in a tumblcr Of
water and let 1t stand over night,
drinking the water in the morning.
Another method is to mix a coffee
spoonful of the seed in strained hon
ey to kill the bitter taste, and then
eat the mixture. The women Of Tun-
is, IN their quest for fat, eat tho seed
In the form Of a confection and mix
ed with olive oil and In many other
ways.
Prominent among the few pIiysi"
clans who have tried the plant in the
treatment Of consumption is DR.. A. S.
Mansfelde, treasurer of the Nebras-
ka State Medical Association, WHIP
has probably carried the experiment
further than any other American
practitioner. He was the first to re-
port to the department Of agricul-
ture the use Of the plant as a cure in
this country.
Although Dr.. ManSfelde has re-
ported concerning one case 1t was of
a nature to show the great possibili-
ties Of the plant. The patient in
question was n young Irishman, who
was inthe last stages of the disease.
and although in the end he eventual
~ died, his lungs being so far gone
that they could not sustain any bodi-
~ vigor, he is reported to have taken
on flesh and continued to do SO for
several weeks until the end came.
David Fairchild, agricultural ex-
plorer, in charge of the seed and
plant distribution of tho bureau of
plant industry. is responsible for
bringing fcnugreck to the notice of
the American people. While travel
ing in the East he was struck with
the prevalence OF fat women and on
cnquiring into tho cause got on the
track of the plant. He did not think
Il great deal of the plant until later
when he learned that it was one of
the principal ingredients Of condition
powders for stock. Putting the two
together he thought that results we'll
worth the trouble could be received
from the plant and accordingly in
tr0duccd ii into the United States.
1T is claimed by some that the
plant Il be traced back as far as
the time of Observation-Disclosures III, when
1t was in common use as a relish for
meats and as q medicine. Many leg
ends have been founded on the plants
great medicinal value. 1t is even
stated that Mohamet himself once
SAID that II the people knew the val
ne OF fenugrcck they would obtain it
oven at the price Of gold. Another
lcgend claims that if a bag or the
seed was tied to a cancels back II
would cure 1t Of its ills.
Fcnugrcck Is planted in the fall
the same as winter wheat and comes
up carly I'm the spring. 1t attains y
height Of about that OF the ordinary
clover and. as stated before when full
grown looks about the same. The
odor of the plant is familiar TO any
II who has eve handled condition
powders, such as are given TO stock.
At present there is but acompara-
lively small quantity of the SEED in
n United States. The department
OF agriculture, however, is able 10
distribute quantities Of some size on
applications made to the bureau of
seed and plant industry.
Speaking Of the medicinal value
Of the plant DR.. Mansfcldc says:
Their can he no doubt that beyond
tho carbohydrates and the bitter con-
tents increasing the appetite, some
ting else must be contained in the
seeds that causes the assimilation Of
20 A,l ~ 80 -. T..