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Herbal cure causes death

"Medicine is three-tenths poison" is a popular saying among Chinese herbal medicine practitioners.

However, a rare herbal remedy used by some to alleviate everything from cancer to acne is simply bad medicine, doctors said yesterday at the National Poison Center (NPC), which is operated by the clinical toxicology division at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

According to doctors speaking at yesterday's NPC news conference, a 56-year-old man suffering from diabetes and ulcers took an expensive herbal medicine recommended by a friend without knowing what it contained.

Analysis at the NPC laboratories proved the medicine is a powder of Podophyllum hexandrum tubers.

Also known as the "eight-cornered lily" or Himalayan mayapple, Podophyllum hexandrum tubers contain a potentially deadly neurotoxin, podophyllin.

After taking around 5g of the powder, the man had to be rushed to the emergency room.

"His limbs felt numb, he could not walk straight, he eventually became delirious," said Wu Ming-ling (吳明玲) a toxicologist at the hospital.

Although the man survived, others have not been so lucky. In one case, an individual died after ingesting just 4g of eight-cornered lily powder.

"The problem is the standard treatment dose could be a lethal dose for some people," said Yang Chen-chang (楊振昌), another doctor in the toxicology department.

The man was left with neurological damage that might persist for the rest of his life affecting his perception and sensation.

"His hands and feet always feel as if they are covered by heavy socks and mittens and his coordination continues to be affected," Wu said.

The dangerous properties of the eight-cornered lily are well-known by reputable Chinese medicine practitioners and most only prescribe it with the utmost caution, Wu said.

However, its reputation and presence in ancient herbal texts means that many still seek out the expensive herb.

"Some people automatically think that `herbal' means safe," Yang said. "This is not true."

In this case, Yang and Wu said that they do not recommend the use of eight-cornered lilies.

"The amount of podophylloxin can vary from batch to batch, even from plant to plant," Yang said.

However, there are no laws regulating the availability of potentially harmful herbal pharmaceuticals, Yang said.
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