Pau D’Arco has been proven to be a true herb, but not a new one. It is one of the medicinal plants discovered in 1977, and was known earlier by the Indians. It was re-discovered about twenty years ago by two physicians into the white man’s medicine, doctors Teodoro Meyer and Prats Ruiz, who have been treating and using this herb with fantastic results. The Brazilian newspapers and magazines devote whole pages to the marvelous cures attributed to Pau D’Arco.

Dr. Prats Ruiz tells of a woman living on the La Corona Sugar Plantation suffering from cancer of the womb. She was in such pain that she had wished to throw herself under the train that passed close by her home. After taking the herb for ten days, the constant bleeding stopped and she no longer experienced pain. The doctor who attended her says that she is now perfectly well.
 
Many doctors in Brazil recommend Pau D’Arco as a therapeutic herbal tea. It is used in some hospitals and clinics, and the public buys it in herb shops and pharmacies. Under the direction of Dr. Teodoro Meyer, Pau D’Arco has been distributed to cancer patients throughout Argentina and to doctors in such cities as Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, La Rioja and Tucuman. Dr. Meyer says the herb heals wounds, combats infection, stimulates the appetite and acts as a general tonic. However it is among those regarded as hopeless by traditional medicine that the doctors have found Pau D’Arco winning an unusual war against sources of illness and generating stories of fantastic cures.  

Pau D’Arco is said to give the body greater vitality by strengthening its organic defenses. It revitalizes the body, helping to create new normal cells. It increases resistance to diseases and creates a feeling of well-being. It also seems to help in elimination of pain.  
The Dietemann Research Foundation Inc. in Los Angeles, California found in extract samples that Pau D’Arco is stimulating to the alimentary tract through the rectum and then back to the liver, gall bladder and sweat glands. The sweat glands are relief valves for the stomach, lungs and heart. The stimulation of this herb helps keep these glands open and operating and will help eliminate problems stemming from the stomach, lungs and heart as well as warns the body when the adrenal glands are under stress.  
In South America and the United States the following dysfunctions have been claimed to be greatly aided by Pau D’Arco:
Anemia, Arteriosclerosis, Asthma, Blood Builder, Bronchitis, Cancer (all types), Colitis, Diabetes, Eczema, Gastritis, Gonorrhea, Infections, Leukemia, Lupus, Parkinson’s Disease, Pain (relieves), Pyorrhea, Rheumatism, Ringworm, Spleen infections, Tonic, Ulcers, Varicose Veins, Wounds. 
This fascinating herb is taken from the inner bark of the tall tree called Lapacho, it is an ozoniferous plant, it grows mostly in places where there is ozone. Ozone air is fresh and pure and free from pollution, smog, exhaust, smoke, and pesticides. This bark contains a high percentage of iron, which is easily assimilated. It is said that it can be taken in massive doses without fear and may be combined with any other medication. It can be used with children as well as adults. In Dr. Meyer’s wide experience with this herb he says that in all cases treated, the gradual elimination of pain disappears after a few days of treatment.  

There are people in the U.S. with similar experiences. One woman in Utah who has been suffering from breast cancer for over a year, started taking tea and she found relief within a twenty four-hour period. She said that this was the first time she had felt human in months. She continues to take the tea daily and after several weeks is still free from pain. It is too soon to know what benefits it is doing to eliminate cancer, but if she can get relief from pain without taking drugs I am sure she will always be grateful.
 
I spoke with a man in Florida who has used the herb Pau D’Arco for several months. He was diagnosed as having prostate cancer, and had suffered with it for over a year. He told me that he used the herb for thirteen days and noticed a feeling of well-being, but when he really noticed the benefits of the herb was when he stopped eating white sugar products and started taking vitamins and minerals along with his diet. It was then only 15 days that he really noticed a change in his health. When I spoke with him in March 1982 he told me that he was told by his doctors that his cancer is now completely gone.  

A man from Illinois had suffered from a gum disease called pyorrhea which caused him a great deal of pain. It usually developed into an abscess which meant a trip to the dentist where he lanced and drained the abscess and put him on antibiotics. He was really worried because pyorrhea ends up in loose teeth which usually ends up having to pull them. This man came across Pau D’Arco in November 1981 and after using it for twenty-four hours found amazing results, the pain subsided, the swelling went down, and the pus pocket was gone. He was then convinced of the value of Pau D’Arco and was no doubt thrilled to have been able to save his teeth.

Whether it is called Taheebo, Ipe Roxo, Pau D’Arco or by any other name, its curative powers have brought such relief to hundreds of people with untold suffering that it is no wonder in Brazil they call it the Divine Tree. The many people who have found relief from using Pau D’Arco do not necessarily care that this is not a new herb, but they are very grateful that it is a true herb to its curative powers.