Essiac Essentials

taking Essiac that same month. In the September a cyst on his neck began to enlarge. It became very hard and sore and, by the end of the month, was leaking clear liquid and a cottage-cheese like substance. The pain around the cyst disappeared and by the end of October whatever was left of the tumour was discharging out of his nose. Subsequent tests reported him to be free of cancer and he was still alive two years later.
    Other conditions listed in the Bracebridge case histories that responded favourably to treatment were:
     
    Cysts, ulcers, benign tumours, chronic stomach and bowel problems, as well as goitres.
     

     
    We have had reports of people with diabetes reducing their daily insulin levels after some months of taking Essiac. Chronic candida problems have disappeared completely. Related to this, women who have been prone to candida infections as a result of taking antibiotics have reported that they have had no recurrence of the problem since taking the Essiac formula.
     
    One lady in Canada sent the following report to Sheila in 1993:
    “These are my findings after consistently taking the tea for
    five months:
     
    (a) I do not have aches and pains from my varicose veins.
    I also no longer experience the puffiness around them.
    (b) I don’t retain water as before and didn’t experience swollen hands and feet throughout the summer.
    (c) My energy level has increased.
    (d) I have a feeling of well-being.
    (e) I have lost eleven pounds to date.
    (f) My eyebrows are growing in again, so very little pencil is required on them.
    (g) My hair seems shinier and thicker and the roots are growing in dark instead of grey. — (Rene took a daily dose of the tea and retained her full hair colour until she died)
    (h) A scaly psoriasis {eczema} patch at my hairline has disappeared.
    (i) A dark sun spot has disappeared from my nose.
    (j) I urinate more often and my stools are soft and very regular.
    (k) My finger nails are stronger {no more flaking} and seem to be less bevelled.
    (l) The small cysts in my breast seem to be disappearing.
    (m) My gums are healthier and my teeth whiter. My dentist confirms this.
    (n) My cholesterol level has maintained and my triglycerides have dropped four points.
    (o) I seem to heal quicker from cuts and scrapes and pimples.
    (p) I have not had gallstone attacks since starting on the tea. ”
     
    Dosage
     
    Essiac seems to work better in smaller doses, adopting a more homoeopathic approach to the formula. Originally Rene gave each patient one dose of half a fluid ounce diluted in warm water once a week. That went on for years. Inevitably there were times when she ran out of the herbs. Then she would give people the dregs of the herbs from the last decoction, telling them to go home, add a quart of water and prepare the decoction all over again. And some people got well. She asked Mary (McPherson) to type out several different variations in the treatment, depending on the needs of the patient at the time. A lot of this happened after the clinic was closed, when she wasn’t supposed to be treating anyone. It was only when the doctors connected with the Resperin Corporation started working with Essiac that Rene began to advise the dose of one fluid ounce diluted in two ounces of warm water before going to bed.
    During the days of the Bracebridge Clinic she treated her patients “once a week and in some cases twice a week. I like to have at least 48 hours between treatments. For good number of cases” she continued such treatments for three months. “Some breast cases if they are not too advanced, will disappear in about six treatments.” The patients she was referring to were being treated both orally and by injection. In this book we are concerned only with the oral dosage levels because we have insufficient information about Rene’s injection methods and dosages.
     
     
    Treating Children
     
    It is difficult to offer specific advice about giving Essiac to children. However, the following case history could act as a guideline.
    The parents of a three-year-old girl with an inoperable brain tumour used Essiac successfully, employing careful observation and familial empathy to decide on the correct dosage for their daughter’s condition.
    Two months after diagnosis in 1977 they began by giving her four teaspoons of the diluted decoction daily. One month later her white blood cell count was down to 3300 from 4000 and her condition was improving. They tried reducing the dosage to