tissue.” When asked whether the cure for cancer would come from the greenhouse rather than the
laboratory, Dr. Kupchan answered, “There probably won’t be a single cancer cure, but cancer cures for
the different types of cancer.” He told reporters that the possibility of cancer treatment from plants should
not be overlooked, particularly since “the synthetic medicinal chemists have almost exhausted the
possibilities for anti-cancer drugs.” Most herbalists combine bittersweet with other herbal agents as
individual case requires.
CAUTION: Large doses produce vomiting, faintness, vertigo, convulsive muscular movements, dryness
and constrictions of the throat, thirst, diarrhea, weakened heart action, paralysis.
DOSE: Boil 1 teaspoonful of cut or powdered Solanum in 1 pint of water for a few minutes, cover and
steep for ½ hour, 1 teaspoonful in 1 cup of boiling water as required. Of the tincture alone, 10–20 drops
in water three or four times a day.
EXTERNALLY: One pound of the cut bark of bittersweet slowly heated in 1 pound of lard for 8 hours
makes an excellent ointment to scatter painful tumors and is one of the best preparations available for
application to ulcers, irritated skin conditions, piles, burns, scalds, etc., involving pain and social
embarrassment.
HOMEOPATHIC CLINICAL: Not to be confused with deadly nightshade (belladonna) or with climbing
bittersweet (Celastrus). Tincture prepared from fresh green stems and leaves, gathered just before
flowering.
USES: Adenitis, angina faucium, aphonia, bladder (affections of), blepharophthalmia, catarrh, cholera,
crusta lactea, diarrhea, dropsy, dysentery, emaciation, exostosis, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, hayfever,
meningitis, myalgia, myelitis, nettlerash, neuralgia, ophthalmia, paralysis, pemphigus, rheumatism,
scarlatina, scrofula, stammering, stiff neck, tibia (pains in), tongue (affections of), tonsillitis, tumors,
typhoid, urine (difficulty in passing, incontinence of), warts, whooping cough.
RUSSIAN EXPERIENCE: Several kinds of the bittersweet family known as paslen kisoladky (Solanum
dulcamara, Solanum lacitum) are used for medical and industrial purposes. Uses: Home medicine for
many families favors palsenovaya nastoika (herbs with vodka) for heart disease, a few drops at a time.
One to two cups of the tea taken a mouthful at a time has proven successful for skin and hair diseases and
very effective for worms. Clinically: In use of disturbances of the liver, spleen, gallbladder, catarrh,
asthma, and chronic skin disease.
INDIAN AND PAKISTANI EXPERIENCE: Solanum nigrum (garden nightshade) and their native Solanum
xanthocarpum, which in Indian is kantakari, kateli, katai—and the English name, Indian solanum—grow
throughout India and Pakistan. They find the whole plant useful as expectorant, bitter stomachic, aperient,
diuretic, astringent, anthelmintic, alterative, anodyne, febrifuge. The root used for fever, cough, asthma,
flatulence, costiveness, dropsy, heart disease, chest pain, gonorrhea, dysuria, stones in the bladder, liver
and spleen enlargement. Given in decoctions of ½–2 ounces, or its juice in doses of ½–2 drams; also as a
confection.