‘The Puppy Show’, illustration from the book ‘Dogs: How to care for them in health and treat them when ill” by E. P. Anshutz 1903
A Cure For Blindness
During a desperate attempt to save his best friends vision, a man stumbled upon a surprising cure for blindness; cannabis!
Illustration from the book ‘Dogs: How to care for them in health and treat them when ill” by E. P. Anshutz 1903
The amazing cannabis cure was first published in a book that has since been lost to history originally titled ‘Zeitsch. Fur Homeapathice’ or a Time for Homeopathic by B. Von Reichberger. Luckily for us Reichberger’s story was reprinted in the fifth volume of The Homoeopathic Recorder in 1890 preserving cannabis history forever. The article was simply titled ‘A Cure for Blindness in a Dog’.
During his studies with natural treatments for his upcoming book on homeopathic remedies, Reichberger was able to discover the miraculous cure while helping his friend. The friend was completely heartbroken over his best friend, a dearly loved Newfoundland pup named Pluto, who had become ill. The lovable dog had suffered from a inflamed head wound that soon spread causing a ‘dense white coating’ over both of his eyes. This cloudy coating had left poor Pluto completely blind.
Wishing to treat Pluto with these natural treatments, Reichberger chose a curious prescription; a double dose of cannabis!
Utilizing a cannabis tincture, he prepared a cannabis solution using 2 drops of the tincture mixed with a teaspoon of water. This dose of the cannabis mixture was given to Pluto orally every 2 hours.
While treating Pluto with cannabis internally, Reichberger next focused directly on the eyes themselves. Using the same cannabis mixture, the diluted cannabis tincture was applied topically as eye drops placed in both eyes also given every 2 hours.
Remarkably after just three days of using this double dosed cannabis treatment, “the dog commenced to see, for although the eyes still looked opaque he walked everywhere.”
Unbelievably by the 5th day Reichberger documents “the eyes were as clear as ever, not a trace of the opacity remaining”…
Pluto was cured!
“Recently I made a fine cure in a magnificent Newfoundland dog. A friend possesses such a dog and is fairly crazy about him. About four weeks ago I visited him and found him quite despondent; his favorite Pluto had become blind. I examined the dog and found a dense white covering over both eyes; he was stone blind. On inquiry I was told that Pluto had a festering sore on the head which was very much inflamed for several days. Presently the eyes became inflamed also, and the animal became blind in both eyes. I comforted the owner, assuring him that his dog would regain eyesight inside of a week. I prescribed once every two hours, two drops of the first dilution of Cannabis Sativa in a teaspoonful of water and, at the same time, a few drops of this mixture between the separated eyelids every two hours. On the third day the dog commenced to see, for although the eyes still looked opaque he walked everywhere. In five days more the eyes were as clear as ever, not a trace of the opacity remaining. As Pluto was a well known and favored personality in the whole town this astonishing cure created much surprise.”
– Report by B. Von Reichberger from The Homoeopathic Recorder Volume 5 1890
‘A Cure for Blindness in a Dog’ by B. Von Reichberger published in The Homoeopathic Recorder Volume 5 1890
Almost entirely lost to history the astonishing story was repeated again in print just a decade later when the book “Dogs: How to care for them in health and treat them when ill” by E. P. Anshutz included the high tale as a cure for cataracts in 1903.
If your best friends vision begins to fade away, it just may be cannabis that allows it to stay!
‘Free Education’ by S.T. Dadd from the Illustrated London News magazine 1885