A report on the origin and therapeutic properties of Cundurango / by W.S.W. Ruschenberger.

  • Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report on the origin and therapeutic properties of Cundurango / by W.S.W. Ruschenberger. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/88 page 9
    government of Ecuador, addressed Mr. Fisli, Secretary of State, letters on the subject, dated Quito, January 5, and 25, 1871, in which lie states, substantially, that for some time past he had been aware of “ the recent discovery” of a specific remedy for cancer and other formidable diseases. He says that the dis- covery is ascribable to “ one of those trivial incidents which evince oftentimes how humble are the means used by Provi- dence to make known the mysteries of nature and the wonders of science.” He states that “the ignorant wife of a common Indian laborer, who had for some time suffered most fearfully from an internal cancer, concluded finally,” “ in perfect good faith and honesty of purpose, and with no sinister or malevolent design” “to administer eternal relief to him by the simple pro- cess of mixing poison in his food !” The agent she selected for the purpose of releasing her hus- band from his agony was the fruit of the cundurango, “ said to be an active poison;” but not being able to obtain it, she ad- ministered instead a decoction of the wood. To her surprise, the man at once began to rally. She continued to dose him in augmented quantities, and he entirely recovered. The case becoming public, “further tests have established the powers of the wood as a remedial agent.” The Hon. A. Flores, the minister from Ecuador to the United States, informed the Secretary of State, in a letter, dated Washington, D. C., March 14, 1871, that his government had forwarded for his acceptance a box of cundurango, “ to which great medicinal qualities are attributed,” as he would see in “the annexed extracts copied from No. 425 of the official jour- nal of Ecuador.” Mr. Flores desired Mr. Fish, in the event of his receiving it, to enable him to communicate to the govern- ment of Ecuador “the result of the analyses and experiments” which might be made. The letters referred to above were made public. The cun-
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