History
of Herbal Treatment for Cancer
External
Treatment for Cancer
The
external treatment of cancer with escharotic salves actually
seeks out and destroys cancer cells. Escharotic pastes and
salves are caustic compounds that are applied externally
on the skin. These are directly applied over the affected
area and will erode the tissue to eventually destroy and
remove the underlying tumor.
The
direct application of herbs and herbal juices to tumors
has been practiced in many different traditions and cultures
far back into antiquity. It is known that the Native Americans
commonly applied poultices of roasted onions and bloodroot
as well as other substances, which eroded the skin to draw
out cancers, tumors and other undesirable materials. Straight
garlic poultice will also cause blistering and open the
skin but, like onions, it is very painful.
These
formulas were admired and used by medical doctors during
the 18th century in Europe.
Other
examples of topical application of herbs and their expressed
juice are the use of chelidonium or dandelion latex to remove
warts and other excrescences. The Chinese have a tradition
of breaking open the seed of brucea javonica and taping
directly over warts and excrescences to stimulate their
dissolution. The treatment of breast cancer particularly
through the use of dandelion latex was described as a folk
remedy by the Chinese.
Japanese
macrobiotics uses a grated poultice of the taro potato (Colocasia
esculenta) which grows in tropical, hot countries. The Africans
call this plant taro, in India it is called albi, in Japan
it is sato-imo ("field-potato"), in the Caribbean's
it is malanga or yautia. It is a staple food of the Native
Hawaiians who make a porridge called poi which is a staple
of the traditional Hawaiian diet..
In
the mid nineteenth century, Samuel Thompson, a leader of
one of the most popular movements of natural healing based
primarily on the use of Native American herbs, reported
the successful treatment of breast cancer. This was done
by using a paste of thickened decoction of red clover blossoms.
It was repeatedly and thickly applied to the woman's breast
and covered over with a protective bandage. After a short
time the cancer literally sloughed off through the surface
of the skin, leaving a shallow crater. It is presumed that
if this case is at all similar to dozens that I have seen
or heard of, that this healed over without any complications.
Meanwhile
and previously in Europe from the middle of the 18th century
to the mid-nineteenth century one of the ways of treating
cancer was by applying zinc chloride directly to tumors
until they died and fell off. This was obviously a painful
process. Around the mid-nineteenth century, Native American
herbs became very popular in Europe and a Dr. J.W. Fell,
working at Middlesex Hospital in London developed a paste
made of bloodroot, zinc chloride, flour, and water. This
was directly applied as a paste to a malignant growth and
generally destroyed the tumor within two to four weeks.
Bloodroot
(Sanguinarea canadensis) is one of the most beautiful eastern
North American woodland herbs and was commonly used to treat
cancer by the Native Americans. Since that time it has been
identified as a primary ingredient in most escharotic salves
and pastes, as these are called, used for the treatment
of cancer. The alkaloid, sanguinarine has been indeed found
to possess powerful anti-cancer properties.
The
Eclectics medical doctors of the 19th century, especially
Dr. Eli Jones, specialized in the treatment of cancer emphasizing
internal treatment and lifestyle changes but evidently used
escharotic salves and ointments with success. The late Dr.
Raymond Christopher created a Black Ointment drawing salve
that contained potent anti-cancer herbs such as poke root
and black walnut bark. Many consider this to be only for
drawing out slivers and such embedded in the flesh, but
in fact, the salve is also used for drawing out cancers
and tumors. In recent times various formulas for the salve
has been sold or given away by various clandestine individuals
who are mostly motivated by the desire to help provide patients
with a less invasive and harmful method to remove cancers
from various parts of the body.
One
of the most startling facts is that the use of escharotics
has been and continues to be an accepted and recognized
medical procedure. A medical text entitled Chemosurgery:
Microscopically controlled Surgery for Skin Cancer was written
by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, B.Sc., M.D. and last published
by Charles Thomas in 1978. It uses the same basic escharotic
paste used by Eli Jones, Hoxsey, and others for application
for topical application for the removal of various cancers,
molls, warts and other growths and excrescences. Dr. Mohs
was clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin
Medical School
As
recently as the late 1960's Vipont pharmaceuticals under
the name of Vipont Chemical Co. of Fort Collins, Colorado,
was formed by a rodeo cowboy named Howard McCrorey and two
friends specifically to research and develop the salve for
FDA approval. At one point they informally sent it off to
an investigator of Mayo clinic to be tested for its efficacy
in treating cancer. The investigator sent back two letters
stating he had not tested anything that even came close
to the anti-tumor activity of the salve.
In
order to keep the company viable they performed various
contract work. As a result they brought a toothpaste to
market called Viadent which utilized the ingredients of
their salve to maintain dental hygiene and prevent and cure
periodontal disease. It was and still is very effective
and the company was eventually bought up by Colgate who
is the manufacturer of Viadent.
The
Escharotic Black Salve researched by Vipont is the basic
one that is usually found. It consists of Equal parts powdered
bloodroot, galangal, zinc chloride and distilled water.
Other versions of this add white flour to make more of a
paste consistency.
Besides
its topical use, there is a tradition of internal use for
cancer and all infectious and inflammatory diseases. Vipont
conducted an LD/50 toxicity study of the salve for internal
use. It was reported that the LD/50 was around 700mg per
kilogram of body weight. Since the recommended dose for
internal use is no greater than 250mg, at this level toxicity
is very low. However, it should never be taken on an empty
stomach as it can be too irritating. The salve can be taken
in a 00-sized gelatin capsule as it is taken each day.
Vipont
and company has documented the use of the salve for a wide
variety of problems, ranging from the removal of warts,
moles and skin cancers to other internal cancers, colds,
eye problems (diluted in a saline solution, one part salve
to 1000 parts water), staff infections, impotency, skin
diseases, gastrointestinal inflammations and other conditions
too numerous to list. One representative who reported this
story and was on the Board of Directors of Vipont Chemical
Company, Clark Bigham stated that "my inclination is
to try it for just about any known condition other than
stomach ulcers and auto-immune diseases."
