BLOODROOT ============================== From: FVJB41A@prodigy.com ( DANIEL M SIEGEL) Bloodroot (sanguinaria canadensis) is part of the original Mohs zinc chloride paste compounded by Dr. Mohs a half century ago, along with stibnite. It contains the alkaloid sanguinarine which stimulates respiration, increases blood pressure, increase saliva flow and increases intestinal peristalsis. The indians of the Lake Superior area used the sap on breast and skin tumors. A member of the poppy family, the noted botanist James Duke PhD experienced tunnel vision chewing on a piece of it. It has been used commercially as a plaque inhibitor in toothpaste and mouthwashes. This attractive plant can be found in dense woods over much of theeastern USA. Also used as part of various "natural" anti cancer recipes. It probably has potential as a topical medciation, but getting patients to forage for it is extremely difficult in our 7-112 society. Daniel Mark Siegel MD ============================== From: "MARK NAYLOR" Isn't mixing zinc chloride with some herbal remedy to necrose tumors a little like mixing Naprosyn with some herbal remedy and saying it's a new miracle treatment for arthritis? The simplist explanation for the blood root paste is that the zinc chloride caused the necrosis, a known effect of this compound. Am I missing something here? To be fair, it is concievable that the blood root adds something to the preparation (say perhaps, enhancing the penetration power of the zinc chloride), and perhaps the blood root formulation does more than zinc chloride alone. A controlled trial is probably the only convincing way to demonstrate this, given that zinc chloride is an active ingredient with precisely the properties claimed for the blood root paste. Since blood root sounds potentially toxic, this would be advisable before this preparation receives any recommendation from reputable sources. Mark Naylor, M.D.