By order of his excellency the President of the republic, and for the
consequent ends, I have the honor to remit the original of the dispatch sent
to the commanding general of the district by the inspector of the military
hospital.
To the Secretary of the Interior.
[Untitled]
Republic of Ecuador, Military Hospital, Guayaquil,
August 12, 1871.
Sir: In the month of May, of last year, I
received a few pounds of “cundurango” through the authorities, to
experiment with. For fourteen months I have been assaying the properties
of this new vegetable, not only in the establishment under my charge,
but also in private practice, and I am happy to communicate to your
excellency that this plant will do in a very short time better service
than the quinine that is extracted from the woods of the favored
province of Loja.
I commenced my experiments with various internal complaints, obtaining
admirable results in several cases of rheumatism, neuralgia, and
otalgia, as also in a case of eczema, after having employed all the
other means advised without any good results.
In the cancer, before and after the ulceration, the “cundurango” is the
most powerful agent, and can be qualified as the specific for this
horrible scourge.
On one of the most notable persons of the country, whom I treated during
the fearful duration of a cancer of the tongue that had destroyed more
than half of this organ, prescribing this plant under different forms
and combinations, I have obtained a splendid triumph, “the complete
disappearance of the cancer,” together with the conjunction of diathesis
and swellings that made a deformity of all the base of the jawbone and
neck, but had the misfortune to lose the patient in consequence of a
sudden relapse of disease that had troubled him for several years; an
access of asthma which gave rise to asphyxia that carried him off in an
hour during the convalescency of a fever that he had contracted some
time after having made “a radical cure of the cancer.”
At present I have under my charge a lady very well known, who had a
cancer upon the left breast which has been reproduced in two points of
the enormous scar, and having been recommended by various persons to
undergo a new operation, preferred my care, and I obtained what will be
in fifteen days a complete cure.
Two cases more I have to refer to, in which if I have not obtained entire
success, it has been on account of special circumstances of the
patients, but in them I have proved the sure and efficacious action of
the “cundurango.” Later I will give a more detailed report of the action
of the “cundurango” and of its results, with documentary proof that will
convince all, even to the most incredulous. I regret, however, that my
field of observation is so reduced.
It is just that the sons of the country profit by these providential
discoveries, and that in honor of the nation to take part, without
expecting everything from abroad.
Now the exportation commences with furore, hotly disputing the
speculations, causing fraud to intervene, as they export portions of the
vine, sell it at high prices without its being the true cundurango.
I hope that soon the genius of our chief magistrate will take the
necessary measures to avoid these consecutive evils to the advantage of
the country, and so that this splendid discovery will not suffer the
attacks to which the scandalous falsifications of several speculators
will give rise.
To the General commanding the district.
