Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1885 — New, Cancer Cure. [ARTICLE]

New, Cancer Cure.

A Washington Special to the CommerciaßGazette says: “An interesting story is told here by an old friend of General Grant in regard to the late treatment of his case, dating, about the time of his recent improvement Over a month ago Captain J. H. Dibble, well known among western steamboatmen as in command of boats in General Grant’s expeditions on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, attempted, through his acquaintance in the family,, to induee them to use a Brazilian vegetable cure for cancerous affections, which he had recently used in his own case with success. That knowledge -of the plant came to the State Department last October from United States Consul Henry L. Atherton, at Pernambuco..

In January, further information was received, and soon after the State Department ordered Mr. Atherton to send some of the preparation here. In the. meantime (Captain Dibble* having read the October repost, sent to Brazil on his own account and procured several bottles, and with one, in a very short time, .had. apparently effected a cure on; his own face. He became very anxious to have the medicine tried!for General Grant,.but the physicians would not allow it. The little stock the Captain had became exhausted. Colonel Casey, General Grant’s brother-in-law, then became? interested in, the matter. Captain Dibble represented the need of a supply to Assistant Secretary Porter, who ia, a warm friend of General Grant, and the State Department sent a cable dispatch to? Consul Atherton, directing him if he had not already sent a supply of the cure to immediately dispatch it, chartering a vessel for the purpose, if necessary in order toj gain time. He replied that a supply he had sent would be in New York on the 15th of April. In the. meantime a small quantity came from another source to the department, and a relative of General Grant’s took it on to New York and reported to. friends here that its use by General Grant began a week, ago last Saturday. The name; of the plant is alvelose. The milky substance which exudes from: it when cut or broken is the portion uaed. The official reports to the State Department represent it as very potent in ulcerous offections, and in some forms of cancer.

There is great interest felt here among General Grant’s friends to know to what extent he has used this remedy*