Gambogia.

Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 21:08:27 MST
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Michael Moore <hrbmoore.RT66.COM>
Subject: Re: Garcinia Cambogia

> Question regarding Garcinia Cambogia...Our local herb store owner promotes this as a great aid while striving for weight loss...He is somewhat well respected in our area, but I cant seem to find much written about Garcinia in any of my herb books.
>Anyone have any pros and cons regarding this?
> Also, I took a capsule apart to check the contents...( I purchased the Garcinia at GNC, as it was on sale..The texture and color were similar to cement! When I ran water over it, sure looked like mud to me...Even dried out my skin like mud...I am wondering if plain old dried dirt was put in the capsules... (Natural BranD) is the company, distributed by GNC...
> Any help will be appreciated..

Gamboge is an obscure former drug plant that was classed as a Drastic Cathartic.

In other words, it would be expected, at a full dose, to induce "copious watery evacuations, accompanied by intense griping". Restated, it was expected to induce diarrhea. It is classed as a Drastic Purgative in veterinary medicine.

This sounds like a VERY heavy-handed approach to weight loss, if indeed the product contains a moderately active dose of Gamboge Gum. To avoid serious gastrointestinal distress, it was generally prepared with potassium bitartrate or potassium sulphate. Perhaps this explains its peculiarphysical nature.

In my opinion, unless it has been very cleverly employed in some new and very sophisticated formulation that differs markedly from its traditional use, it ranks as serious bad shit.

Michael Moore (hrbmoore.rt66.com)
http://www.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE/HomePage.html

From: Paul Iannone <p_iannone.POP.COM>

: >Gamboge is an obscure former drug plant that was classed as a Drastic Cathartic.
: And causes me to wonder -- this is in no way intended as a frivolous query, though somewhat off-topic -- is Garcinia Cambogia also the source of the artist's pigment, Gamboge? It is a yellow pigment, with a tendency toward the green. Anyone know?

Gambogia (Gamboge) has been found in the homeopathic pharmacopeia since 1843. That hoary tome lists the name Garcinia as coming from Garcin, an 'oriental traveler,' and Gambogia being a derivation from a province in Cambodia. It was previously known as Catharticum aureum, Garcinia hanburii, G. morella, var. pedicellata, Gummi cambogia, G. gutti, G. victoria, Gutta gamba, and Hebradendron gambogioides.

It is hardly known even as a homeopathic, though I am aware of one stunning single-dose cure (in a patient where all else has failed) of terminal colitis cured by George Vithoulkas in Northern California using this most obscure of remedies. I believe "Why hasn't anyone thought of gambogia?" was the phrase. Why indeed?

My Websters says gamboge is a pigment and cathartic, so, yes.