Research and Product Development

Over the last years, I have felt that my primary responsibility was to determine how escharotic pastes were used by experts in the past and whether they are as effective as claimed. In modern times, there have been very few studies of botanical treatments for cancer. Patients who are drawn towards using natural approaches for their conditions are frustrated by the lack of information and are often unable to evaluate statements almost made in passing, such as "Native Americans used bloodroot to treat cancer." The types of questions people have asked me are where does one find bloodroot, what form of it should be used, how should it be used, can it be used on this particular condition, etc., etc. If they find a product containing bloodroot, they do not know how to assess the claims made much less how applicable the claims are for their particular condition. They obviously seldom know if the product is capable of producing a major response or it is merely a bottle with a label on which bloodroot is listed as an ingredient. Most patients would not know how to assess whatever else might be in the jar, the quality of the product, or the differences between products if they happen to find more than one with similar ingredients.

My book answers these questions plus a lot more. So, now I want to be free to go to the next stage of the work. I work seven days a week, and I haven't had a vacation in many years. Please do not ask me to repeat what is in my book. The treatment is credible, not a hoax perpetrated on gullible patients; but even so, it is not suitable for everyone.

Cancer Salves: A Botanical Approach to Treatment

$

 

Products

Many patients have written to me regarding their varied experiences with escharotics. Once the book was published, it was my intention to separate myself completely from the clinical as well as phytopharmaceutical aspects of cancer treatment. Patients have expressed the opinion that this is a disservice, that if I were to provide proper products and instructions that part of their risk would be reduced.

I am not in a position to do this, but I have worked very hard with a few producers to develop products that I think are of superior quality and effectiveness, but we do not actually know this for sure. This said, I wish to emphasize that we do not provide any escharotic products, merely the adjunctive products.

Gradual Progress

We began by producing a handful of what seemed like the most promising or needed products. These were produced in extremely small batches. Our first run of the Jones scrophularia syrup consisted of 19-eight ounce bottles, a ten-day supply for 19 people. It was a perfect replica of the original Jones formula; and little by little, we produced a few more bottles and a few more. Now we have ecological problems with sourcing one of the ingredients and will soon have to make a substitution.

What Can You Do?

Over the long-term, we still don't know how effective our products are. Some products are intended for very short-term use and others, like Sundance, our version of the Hoxsey tonic, should probably be used almost on a life-long basis. This is how Hoxsey used the tonic.

In order to determine whether the historic formulae work as well today as was claimed to be the case previously, we have to keep track of the people who use the products and request feedback from these people. This kind of feedback is the simplest way to aid the ongoing nature of the work.

Those who are willing can provide medical histories, including copies of whatever diagnostic and pathological reports they have, whether by medical doctors or holistic health care practitioners. They can also complete some forms requesting specific background on their medical histories. Periodic reports on their experiences with the products are helpful. This may be supplied by e-mail or snail mail.

We also ask those who are trying to support this work to sign a statement to the effect that they are participating in this study as a matter of personal choice and that they will hold those who provide the products free of blame in the event that the products fail to meet their hopes.

Bulletin Boards

We are not offering testimonials on the products. We have discussed this extensively and recently determined that patients who are using the products can enter a password protected area of the web and share their experiences with other patients, but few are using the board for this purpose. Most are sharing their discoveries as they researched options they felt would support their health.

The reason for creating three separate boards was to facilitate conversation among those with similar concerns and interests. We do not want to give anyone the impression that we are hiding anything, but testimonials are not necessarily the best way to present choices. On cancersalves.net, there is discussion that is limited to health care practitioners. At their discretion, practitioners can, of course, share whatever they wish with patients. The bulletin board for practitioners is often quite active.

Now, after many years and much repetition of similar questions, a decision has been made to archive the posts and use the time and energy that went into maintaining this service for other projects.

Production

Sacred Medicine Sanctuary products are produced in several different labs in extremely small quantities. All of the persons involved are sincere and dedicated. We feel our products are made with a lot of love, but if a product does not prove that it can do the job it is expected to do, we all go back to the drawing boards. Thus far, this is the least of our concerns.

It is important for everyone to understand that herbal medicine belongs to a long tradition that does not currently enjoy the same sponsorship or scientific levels of application as pharmaceutical medicine. Whatever is stated as "information" should be understood in the context of what the words "historic" and "clinical" mean. In modern terms, this information is more anecdotal than "proven."

To be very clear, as a service to those who want to approach their healing naturally, we have re-created some of the products researched for the book and developed a few that seemed to be needed. The products are produced by qualified herbalists and provided through Sacred Medicine Sanctuary, a church devoted to spiritual and natural healing.

Information

I am only one person. I offer information—web-based, printed and recorded—plus a support to practitioners via cancersalves.net, seminars, and occasionally clinical visits. For instance, I may take some days or weeks to collaborate with a colleague who is seeking more in depth understanding of botanical treatments. I have traveled extensively to share my experience in this way.

Every effort is made to provide reliable information, including success stories as well as disappointments. It is my hope that the information will be used in conjunction with the services of a qualified health care practitioner. Self-treating a disease as potentially serious as cancer is fraught with risks.

Clinical Trials and the Need for Funds

There is no funding of this work. I exhausted my life savings and incurred fairly significant debt in order to devote my time and energy to this work. No clinical trials have been conducted, but this obviously needs to happen. I have discussed various proposals with quite a number of institutions, and at this time am convinced that whatever trials are conducted have to occur independently of the profit motive. Therefore, fund raising, grants, donations, and philanthropic ventures are much needed. Whatever I know, I will gladly share freely, but I want the results to benefit people, not industries. I am totally open to working with universities and clinics as well as monasteries to develop the knowledge base and practical aspects of botanical cancer treatments, but I feel that my role at this time should be more advisory. When the right proposal is presented, I will turn over the work to those who are to carry the work to the next level: those who can conduct clinical trials, publish results, and perfect the application of the knowledge.

Ways to Help

Those who love organic gardening and farming can inquire about the herbs that they can cultivate for use in herbal remedies.

If you have the ability to organize clinical trials or related medical research or if you are an expert in biostatistics or fund raising, I would invite you to contact me privately to see how your expertise might further the work.

If you have a talent for business, assistance with daily operations and data evaluation would be most welcome. Legal experts are also needed to help move this work further into the public domain and into clinics where patients can be provided the products with the benefits of clinical supervision.

 

Thank you for your encouragement.

I love reading your e-mails and am glad to be working together.

Donations are gratefully accepted:

$

Sacred Medicine Sanctuary
P.O. Box 442
Poulsbo, WA 98370

 

 

My Work

 

     
   

           
     

Much of the material on this site is historic or ethnobotanical in origin. The information presented is not intended to replace the services of a qualified health care professional. All products discussed on this site are best used under the guidance of an experienced practitioner.

We encourage patients and their friends and family to avail themselves of the information found on the Internet and to share their discoveries with their primary care practitioners. If there are questions about the suitability of a product or strategy, please have your practitioner contact the web hostess.

We are interested in feedback, clinical data, suggestions, and proposals for research and product development. While we naturally hope for the happiest outcome in all situations, the authors of this web site, webmaster, server, publishers, and Sacred Medicine Sanctuary are not responsible for the success, failure, side effects, or outcome of the use of any of the information or healing strategies described on this site.

 

Sacred Medicine Sanctuary
Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2000, 2001, 2005

 
     

*The information provided at this site is for informational purposes only. These statements and products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information on this page and these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. They are not intended to replace professional medical care. You should always consult a health professional about specific health problems.