Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1899. 
Investigation  into  "Husa! 
215 
It  may  interest  the  journalists  who  have,  in  my  opinion,  indis- 
creetly advertised  '  Husa  "  herb  as  a  cure  for  the  opium  habit,  to 
know  that  when  "  Dr.  Winthrop  "  was  written  to  by  their  profes- 
sional readers,  he  refused  to  supply  any  herb  whatever,  returning 
the  money,  and  writing  to  the  following  effect,  which  is  the  reply 
given  one  physician: 
11  Respectfully  returned  with  reply,  that  I  never  send  plants,  it  is 
impractical.  They  do  not  bear  transportation  well.  I  have  to  have 
extract  made  in  Florida,  and  then  diluted  into  three  degrees  of 
tincture  for  prescription.  Plants  would  be  of  no  use  to  you,  or  even 
crude  extract.  The  action  of  Husa  is  peculiar — it  is  the  most  dif- 
fusible stimulant  known." 
But,  as  this  experience  (which  agrees  with  all  other  attempts  to 
get  the  drug)  is  enough  to  illustrate  that  "  Husa"  herb  cannot  be 
obtained  for  identification,  I  shall  drop  that  phase  of  the  matter  and 
give  the  result  of  my  researches  concerning  the  preparation  sold  as 
"  a  tincture  made  from  eight  ounces  of  herbs  to  one  pint  of  alcohol," 
but  which  was  evidently  graded  up  and  down  in  the  case.  I  will 
add  that  no  difficulty  whatever  is  experienced  in  getting  this  liquid; 
$10  for  thirty  fluidounces,  notwithstanding  the  rarity  of  the  herb. 
A  responsible  physician  sent  "  Dr.  Winthrop  "  $10,  receiving 
therefor  a  regulation  supply  which  he  used  according  to  instruc- 
tions, with  a  patient  subject  to  the  opium  habit.  At  my  request, 
he  sent  another  $10  and  received  another  month's  supply,  which 
was  sent  to  me  unopened,  with  an  affidavit  to  the  effect  that  it 
had  not  been  touched  by  him,  simply  addressed  in  the  express 
office  to  me.  On  opening  the  box,  I  found  ten  3-ounce  vials 
numbered  with  printed  labels  from  I  to  10  successively.  On 
each  label  was  the  physician's  name,  and  the  words  One  Month 
and  the  word  Poison,  nothing  else ;  not  even  the  famed  name 
"  Husa." 
The  letter  accompanying  the  box  contained  a  four-page  circu- 
lar, in  which  occurs  the  statement  that  "  Husa  is  not  narcotic." 
In  addition,  I  take  from  this  circular  of "  Directions  "  as  follows  : 
"  Stop  at  once  your  opiate,  and  under  no  circumstances  take 
morphia,  opium  or  any  narcotic  drug  treatment,  as  ever  so  small  a 
dose  would  interfere  with  your  otherwise  certain  cure.  Narcotics 
and  Husa  are  physiological  opposites,  and  even  dangerous  symp- 
toms might  ensue  from  taking  them  together.  At  no  time  during 
treatment  will  you  teel  like  taking  opiates;  in  fact,  the  remedy  will 
