What’s in the Hoxsey Formulas?
A solution of cascara (Rhamnus purshiana) and potassium iodide served as a base for the following herbs, added according to individual cancer cases:
- Burdock root (Arctium lappa)
- Barberry or berberis root (Berberis vulgaris)
- Buckthorn bark (Rhamnus frangula)
- Stillingia root (Stillingia sylvatica)
- Prickly ash bark (Zanthoxylum americanum)
- Poke root (Phytolacca americana)
Hoxsey’s understanding of cancer was that it is a systemic disease created from metabolic imbalances that needed to be restored. His tonics were meant to help create homeostasis (internal stability), kill cancer cells, and remove the toxins created from killing cancer cells. This perspective is in line with almost all natural cancer treatments and practitioners.