AFRICAN PLANT AS CURE FOR ARTHRITIS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1949, Page 6

AFRICAN PLANT AS CURE FOR ARTHRITIS

NEW YORK, August 15.—“ The seed of an African plant will be the answer to the prayers of millions of people tortured by arthritis and rheumatic fever,” says William Laurence, science writer for the Now York Times. “It will also ofier new hope for victims of mental disease and other chronic illnesses. “The seed is a potentially unlimited source of raw material for cortisone-, a new synthesised adrenal hormone which literally pours new life into sick people. “The United States Public Health Service is planning to send an expedition to Africa to obtain cuttings and seeds. These will be planted in tropical areas under United States jm-isdiction. “The raw material for cortisone is as present extracted from ox bile, but the yield is so small that 40 head of cattle are needed to provide the requirements of cortison for one patient for a day. The African plant yields more than 12,000 times more material than ox bile. “Until now there has been a great deal of secrecy over the plant. It was believed that it grew only in a limited area of Equatorial Africa, and that publicity would start a new ‘gold rush,’ possibly creating a foreign monoply. However, the plant was recently discovered growing abundantly in Liberia. The plant may become one of the most important sources of income of the Pacific islands and countries such as Venezuela, the Philippines and the East Indies.”