False: ‘TO-MOR-GONE’ is a cure for cancer that was suppressed by the American government.

Context

A widely-shared video on social media is promoting a herbal remedy called TO-MOR-GONE, which is claimed to cure cancer, among other illnesses. While it was originally posted and subsequently deleted on TikTok, it has been reposted on Facebook and Twitter, where it has been viewed by thousands of users. The video alleges the creator of TO-MOR-GONE was the victim of unfair prosecution.

The individual shown in the footage shows viewers a container of TO-MOR-GONE and proceeds to discuss its purported benefits, saying, "So this stuff is called TO-MOR-GONE, if you google it you can't find it, you can't buy it any more because it was curing cancer, tumors, skin disorders and infections." 

According to this narrator, the inventor of TO-MOR-GONE was unfairly prosecuted and jailed as part of an effort to suppress his creation for the benefit of "big pharma." She claims that, as a member of the Amish community, the remedy's creator existed outside of the American legal system and ought to have been immune from interference by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This claim has gathered significant traction, and a Change.org petition demanding his release has attracted over 40,000 signatures.

In Fact

There is no evidence that TO-MOR-GONE can cure cancer or offer effective treatment for the other conditions discussed in this video. On the contrary, the ingredients listed have the potential to cause harm if applied directly onto the skin. According to publicly available photographs, the product's packaging describes TO-MOR-GONE as a "black salve." The ingredients listed include "bloodroot, galangal root, sheep sorrel, red clover blossom, geranium, cedarwood, beeswax and olive oil." 

While substances such as olive oil and beeswax are innocuous, bloodroot is not. According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, "Bloodroot has not been shown to treat cancer in humans…. Sanguinarine, a compound present in bloodroot, was shown to have antimicrobial activity and to inhibit growth of new blood vessels. Use of bloodroot for skin lesions may result in serious harm. Other side effects of bloodroot include dizziness, vertigo, nausea, and vomiting," 

The FDA warns about corrosive products termed "black salve" for this reason. In this specific case, Cancer Treatment Watch has reported that charges were brought against the product's creator in part because "inspectors concluded that 'TO-MORE-GONE,' which contained bloodroot, did not bear adequate directions for use because it failed to warn that applying bloodroot to the skin can produce a thick scar that can mask tumor recurrence."

None of the other ingredients listed on TO-MOR-GONE have been shown to effectively treat the conditions listed in the video in the miraculous manner described. The prosecution of its creator has been well documented, and there is no evidence of a cover-up, particularly because information concerning its ingredients remains publicly available. 

It is worth noting that, despite mainly living in self-contained communities, Amish people exist within the same legal system as other U.S. citizens. Pennsylvania news outlet Lebanon Daily News states that "there are some legal exceptions related to schooling, workplace regulations, and insurance requirements," however, these relate primarily to civil matters and exist to preserve religious freedom.

The Verdict

There is no evidence that TO-MOR-GONE can cure cancer. On the contrary, its use of bloodroot is a potential hazard due to the corrosive nature of this ingredient. This is partly why federal authorities prosecuted its creator, who is not exempt from U.S. laws. This claim has therefore been marked as false.