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Essaic-Flor-Essence and cancer
A friend in New York said she has read about something called Essiac-Flor-Essence and its use as a cancer drug. It is made of four herbs and the FDA in Canada says it is ok but has not been given the go-ahead in the US. Do you have any information about it?
Although there are scant clinical trials for the efficacy of this formula, the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming and as with so many of the natural-based remedies, there is nothing new about the Essiac herbal formula.
The name is Caisse backwards. Rene Caisse was a Canadian nurse who, in the early 1920s, was given a herbal formula by a patient who had successfully been treated for breast cancer by a Native American shamanic healer. Caisse, who went on to treat patients under the auspices of doctors and their clinics claimed an 80% recovery rate and, to the day of her death in 1978, never divulged the exact formula she used.
My favourite comment on the whole subject is that of an ancient medicine man practising in LA who, when asked about all the bickering over rights which followed Caisse’s death, simply said: “This formula is a gift from the Ojibwa to all mankind, all races, anyone! Why can’t everyone just say thank you and accept it?” The Ojibwa were medicine men from Ontario.
The formula contains just four herbs - Burdock which is an excellent immune strengthener and which has been shown to have anti-tumour properties; Sheep Sorrel which is believed to help reduce radiation damage and strengthen cell walls; a plant called Turkey Rhubarb which cleanses the liver and again has an anti-tumour action and Slippery Elm which disperses swelling and supports the liver, spleen and pancreas.
You can brew these herbs into a tea to take twice a day, on an empty stomach, or buy ready-made liquid formulas which take the fag out of making your own remedy.
*To make your own tea, Hambleden Herbs (01823-401104) sells The Caisse Formula for £15.85 per half kilo. Revital (0800-252875) sells a ready-made tincture called Flor-essence, which costs £19.95 for 500ml. For further reading, Essiac A Native Herbal Cancer Remedy by Cynthia Olsen (Kali Press, £10.45) is an excellent introduction to the story of this formula.