The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-06-03
Malay Opium Cure
Official Report Gives Interesting
Information About New Drug.

Consul General D. F. WILDER Of
Singapore. Straits Settlements, under
date of March u, forwards a report
on the newly discovered Malay cure
for the opium habit, several REFER
ences to which have appeared in con-
sular and trade reports, causing nu-
merous inquiries from various parts
of the United States for further infor-
nation. Upon request Mr.. WILDER fur
nishes the following PARTICULARS:
Through the courtesy of the Selan-
gor Anti-Opium society of Kuala Lum-
pur and the aid of the Rev. w. E.
Horley of that place l am enabled to
send quantity of the prepared opium
cure plant discovered In the FEEDER
ated Malay states, which has been
used with considerable success of
late. The cure has many stanch sup
porters, while some ridicule the idea
That 1t has any curative properties.
The attention of this consulate was
called to the treatment about three
months ago, but like all new cures
for supposed incurable diseases it was
thought best to give it chance to
prove its merit. 1t is safe now to say
that there is no doubt but that there
have been a large number of cures,
which the friends of the remedy en-
phatically claim are permanent, while
the skeptical merely say wait and see.
A very fair statement of the matter
is found in the Malaysia Message, the
January issue. published by the Amer
lean Methodist mission in Singapore,
which is as follows:
The scientific name of the plant
which is credited with effecting such
widespread and marvellous cures of
the opium habit. is pronounced by Mr..
III. N. Ridley, the disector of the bot
anic gardens. Singapore. to be COM
bretum sundaicum. 1t is not, as some
suppose, the plant known by the Ma
lay name Of tampal (tampo) bsi. The
now renowned plant is climber of
no hitherto known use, and it's anti
opium properties are statesd by some
scientific authorities to be mythical.
A local doctor is quoted in the daily
paper as saying that an infusion of
Assam tea would have the same effect.
But against this evidence are many
such testimonies as that of another
member of the medical fraternity, that
a man whom he had treated in the
most orthodox fashion without sue
cess had come to him to say he had
been cured by the climber of challeng-
ed potency.
From the beginning we have been
wary of becoming enthusiastic over
the new cure, knowing the possibili-
ties of a hoax in such sudden and
much lauded experiment. We do not
attach much Importance, however, to
the fact that men who know" pooh
pooh it; the discovery of the cure is
too humble, and it's administration by
lay hands too unpretentious to win
glowing medical endorsements until
it has made opposition impossible by
the uniform success of its use. On
the other hand, the tendency to hope
and to look for the best in everybody
and everything that is a. necessary
part OF religionist's equipment may
betray him into premature accept
ance of fiction and thereby make
him, his religion. and his cure
laughing stock. We therefore say,
Wait and see. Time will certainly
tell whether the cure is cure or a
nightmare. and we trust even its skep-
tics would be rejoiced to find them
selves mistaken. for that cure is
needed nobody doubts.
In the meantime the new remedy Is
taking nobody's money away from
him; it is filling nobody's pocket with
royalty money; 1t is drawing no tears
from the eyes of wives and children
of depraved and helpless victims, and
If its anti-opium properties are, as al
legged, wholly mythical, why not adopt
it as mind cure" SO long as it does
the work?
The manner of preparing the infu-
sion and the treatment. as furnished
by the Selangor Anti-Opium society,
is as follows:
First, boil over a gentle charcoal
fire in the proportion of three pounds
OF water to one ounce of the prepared
drug for about four hours, till half
the original water remains. Second,
strain the preparation and leave it to
cool. and it is ready for use. Third,
fill two (brandy) bottles with the
preparation; into bottle A put burnt
opium to the quantity the patient is
used to consume in one day. The
opium will dissolve at once In milky
color. Fourth, take two tablespoon-
fuls of the mixture from bottle A
whenever the patient Graves opium.
shake the bottle before use. and d.