Essiac Essentials

their entirety, has a proven track record as a remedy for all kinds of ulcers. We have absolutely no record either written or spoken of anyone who has been using the tea long-term having contracted either kidney or bladder stones.
    Oxalic acid stimulates the peristaltic functions in the body and also helps the sluggish, prolapsed intestines to regain their normal functions. Studies have shown that Oxalic acid causes a rapid reduction in blood coagulation time, making it valuable in treating haemorrhaging.
    Oxalic acid, occurring naturally, is always found in combination with sodium, potassium, calcium, iron and manganese in the juices of many plants such as rhubarb, sorrel, oak bark and yellow dock.
    Oxalic acid prepared artificially by oxidising sugar and starch with nitric acid is one of the most powerful escharotic poisons known. Acute oxalic acid toxicity in humans is caused by local corrosive action in the gut and by absorption and excretion of the soluble oxalate.
    Dr. Edward E. Shook wrote in his ‘Advanced Treatise on Herbology
    “The same acid in the form of iron oxalate, potassium, sodium or calcium oxalates, as found in rhubarb (stems) and in sorrel leaves, is quite harmless and those herbs are consumed in great quantities by both man and animals. Rhubarb is one of our best laxative and blood purifying herbs... Sheep sorrel has also been used for reducing adipose (excess fatty) tissue, in the treatment of foul and sloughing ulcers and for cancer. Several of our very best therapeutic agents are members of this family; all of them contain iron, each and every one of them contains oxalates from 2-40%.”
     
    Myth: You only need the leaves and the stems of the Sheep sorrel plant for use in the formula.
    Reality : In a letter to Dr. Stock at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center in 1974, Rene stated that as a result of her early experiments on mice inoculated with human cancer, her conclusion was “the herb that will destroy a cancer (a malignant growth) is Sorrel, the dog-eared Sheep sorrel sometimes called Sourgrass. The entire plant must be used, picked in the Spring before the seeds form, then dried and powdered.”
    In a subsequent letter to Dr. Stock, dated August 1975, she writes, “the material I sent was grown and prepared for grinding into powder (leaves, stems and roots) and boiled. Let stand overnight (12 hours) then poured off into sterile bottles. Do not strain through cheese cloth or anything else. ”
     
    Myth: You can substitute the Turkey rhubarb root using the domestic rhubarb root at double strength.
    Reality: The recipe uses one ounce of rhubarb root to every sixteen ounces of Sheep sorrel, regardless of which rhubarb is available. Using domestic rhubarb at double strength might significantly increase the oxalic acid level and will introduce the hormonal effect of glycoside rhaponticin which should be used with caution.
     
    Myth: It is important that all the herbal residue be strained out of the tea before using.
    Reality: Essiac needs only be strained through a standard kitchen sieve before bottling. Rene wrote in her letter of August 4th 1975 to Dr. Stock that “to strain it through cheese cloth destroys it. ”
    All bottles of correctly prepared tea have a residue of the herbs at the bottom. You can either shake it up and drink it as part of the tea or you can pour off the clear liquid as you use it. It’s entirely a question of taste and we have no evidence of either method being preferable.
     
    Myth: There is no need to powder the Sheep sorrel before using it in the decoction.
    Reality: Rene was quite specific about this. She powdered the Sheep sorrel as a result of her early experiments with the remedy. It must be remembered that she paid particular attention to the herb, often injecting it separately, again as a result of the experiments on the tumours in mice. Using the chopped herb upsets the entire balance of the formula. Yes, it may make the initial decoction less murky before it settles, but it also means that the Sheep sorrel will be less concentrated in the tea.
     
    Myth: If you mix the herbs with good intention, variations in proportion don’t matter.
    Reality: No one can fault good intention but, without the sound backing of meticulous research and experience, good intention can just as easily mix up an ineffective or possibly dangerous variation in the proportion of the herbs.
    For example, a concentration of Turkey rhubarb root could irritate the intestines and cause