Sometime prior to 1922, Rene Caisse was given the recipe by an English miner's wife who said it came from an old medicine man. Rene experimented and reduced the herbs she used to Burdock root (Arctium lappa), Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), Slippery Elm bark (Ulmus fulva) and Turkish rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) or Indian rhubarb (Rheum officianale). Treating terminal cancer patients with her Essiac, she gained physician support and operated her own Bracebridge Cancer Clinic from 1935 to 1941 but finally had to close her Clinic after endless hassles with Canadian Health officials. Rene Caisse signed over her formula to Resperin Corporation in 1977 and died the following year. Resperin Corporation sold the proprietary formula and trademark in 1995 to what is now "Essiac® International" in Canada with multi-country Essiac® distributors. Resperin Corporation sold all of its assets, including the Resperin® trademark, to what is now Resperin Canada Limited (resperin.ca).

So what is available in the public domain is a "recipe" that was claimed to be accurate

For more than 15 years, many generic marketers and home brewers have used the 4-herb recipe attributed to Dr. Gary Glum, who wrote "Calling of An Angel" in 1988. Claiming he knew the formula and subsequently releasing the recipe and directions, it is the only one available to the public. Research by respected authors of several essiac books support its authenticity.

  Ingredients using US / Canada / Imperial / Metric measurements:

HerbVolumeWeightForm Recipe %
Burdock root (Arctium lappa) 6 ½ cups24 ozs. (1.5 lb.)680gpea-size cut 53%
Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)  16 ozs. (1 lb.)453gpowdered 36%
Slippery Elm bark (Ulmus fulva)  4 ozs.113gpowdered 9%
Turkey rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum)  1 oz.       28.35gpowdered 2%

  • Mix the herbs together very very thoroughly.
  • Use 1 cup of herb mix per 2 gallons distilled water each time you brew.
  • Your herbs or herb mix mix should be stored properly.

  Sheila Snow and Mali Klein provide a smaller and more convenient translation of the recipe:

HerbVolumeWeightForm% of Recipe
Burdock root (Arctium lappa)  4.25 ozs.120gpea-size cut53%
Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)  2.8 ozs.80gpowdered36%
Slippery Elm bark (Ulmus fulva)  0.7 ozs.20gpowdered9%
Turkey rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum)  0.18 oz.5gpowdered2%

Another approach is to use volume measurements but herb volume can vary depending on supplier.

    To make 1 cup of mix to brew with 2 gallons of distilled water:

    Burdock root (cut) =   1/2 cup
    Sheep Sorrel (powdered) =   3/8 cup
    Slippery Elm bark (powdered) =   2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
    Turkey rhubarb (powdered) =   1 teaspoon

Also see directions for making just one pint or one quart of tea.

Approximate number of bottles of tea made, depending on water loss:

1 cup herb mix + 2 gallons of water = about 224 liquid ounces of tea
will fill fourteen 16-ounce pint bottles, or seven 32-ounce quart bottles.

1/2 cup herb mix + 1 gallon of water = about 112 liquid ounces of tea
will fill seven 16-ounce bottles, or three and a half 32-ounce quart bottles.

1/4 cup herb mix + 1/2 gallon of water = about 56 liquid ounces of tea
will fill three and a half 16-ounce bottles, or almost two 32-ounce quart bottles.

Supplies Needed  Do not use anything made of aluminum.

Stainless steel kettle with lid (or glass, UK unchipped enamel, CND granite pot)
Stainless steel sieve
Large stainless steel or wood stirring utensil
Stainless steel funnel or 2-cup glass measuring cup
Glass bottles can be amber, colored or clear glass
There are several ways to sterilize bottles

Water used for making an herbal tea should be as pure as possible. Don't use tap water. Most people use distilled water.

Preparation is pretty much the same in books by Snow/Klein and Cynthia Olsen:

  1. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly.
  2. Measure out desired amount of dry ingredients.
  3. Pour proportionate amount of water into pot.
  4. Bring water to a rolling boil with the lid on.
  5. Stir dry ingredients into boiling water.
  6. Replace lid and continue boiling at reduced heat for 10 minutes.
  7. Turn off stove. Scrape down sides of pot and stir mixture thoroughly.
  8. Replace lid, let pot sit and cool undisturbed for 10-12 hours (overnight).

  9. Reheat to steaming hot, but do not let it boil.
  10. Turn off heat and allow herbs to settle for a few minutes.
  11. Pour hot liquid through sieve to catch sediment.
  12. Use funnel to fill sterilized bottles, put lids on.
  13. Allow bottles to cool, then tighten lids.
  14. Store in dark cool place, always refrigerate an opened bottle.

Because the tea contains no preservatives, discard if mold develops -- "When in doubt, throw it out".
Unopened bottles can be stored in a cool, dark place, or keep all the bottles in refrigerator.
Don't freeze the tea or warm it up in a microwave (use hot water to dilute and warm it).

Directions for Use according to books by Sheila Snow and Mali Klein:

1 fluid ounce (30 ml) tea per day, diluted in 2 fluid ounces (60 ml) hot water.
This should be sipped, preferably at bedtime on an empty stomach.
Food should not be eaten within one hour before/after drinking the tea.

As a daily tonic or to enhance the immune system:
Take half a fluid ounce (15 ml) per day, diluted in one ounce hot water.

According to Sheila Snow and Mali Klein,
"It is very important to use the dosage as Rene recommended, which was based on more than 54 years' experience. Rene was very concerned about this, which is why she personally administered the dose to her patients." Depending on special circumstances, Rene would sometimes advise an initial dose of one fluid ounce twice daily for the first five, ten or (rarely) thirty days before reducing to one fluid ounce once a day. Snow and Klein quote Rene Caisse as having said,

    "There is no need to to exceed this dose."

    "People will not stick to the dose I give. They'll decide on their own
    -- if a little's good, a lot's better. That's the way they think.    "

However, products nowadays seem to recommend higher doses, like a minimum of 1 - 2 ounces of tea per day to a maximum dose of 6 ounces per day or even more. Rene Caisse used whole plant sheep sorrel (roots too) and growers commonly harvest only the arial parts (leaves and stems). Could that make a significant difference?

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