Biter Bit!
We wish to take issue with your comments in the June publication of Essentially Oils Limited Newsletter. As a “totally independent scribe” it would have been appreciated if you had taken the time to avail yourself of all the facts before entering the aromatherapy political arena and publishing inaccurate and incomplete information in your highly-regarded and widely-circulated Newsletter, wrote Sylvia Baker PR Chairman of the Aromatherapy Organisations Council. 

To be quite honest I was delighted to hear from Sylvia, as I am always prepared to stand corrected. However far be it from me to ever become involved in the aromatherapy political arena: I just do not have the dedication.  Still I do believe it my function to express the various views  within the aromatherapy profession and, therefore, I shall be publishing verbatim Sylvia’s letter in the September Newsletter [I just do not have the space this month]. Look out for it: it explains much. Meanwhile, for those who cannot wait, it is available on our website [www.essentiallyoils.com].

Jeanne Rose comments.
Further to my piece about Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum L.) in last month’s Newsletter, Jeanne Rose e-mailed.....

Thank you for your most informative newsletter.  It is one of the few that I read - love the information. I thank you for saying such nice things about my Herbal Body Book. I do believe that this book is one of the best that I have written [and she has written many]. In fact it has proved a bit of a “winner”, we have sold many copies.

I want to mention that I use the Blue Tansy oil in capsules, internally not externally in massage or by inhalation.  I don’t like to take theophyllene for my asthmatic condition as it makes me too nervous and jittery. I started taking the Blue Tansy years ago when I found out how bronchial dilating effective it was. I take it in capsules with other essential oils, sometimes Mandarin and other oils. I can be wheezing and breathless and take 3 drops of Blue Tansy in an essential oil blend, within 20 minutes the wheezing is alleviated and without the jitters.  I also never take more than 10 drops per day of any essential oil blend and never for more than 3-9 days at a time.  Any questions?  Would be happy to answer. I will fax you directly with the formula that I use for what I call “dry asthma” (can’t breathe, wheezing but no moisture being coughed up).

Here it is!  10 drops each of Rosemary verbenone, Mandarin and Blue Tansy. 3 drops of this mixture is put in a Ginkgo biloba gelatin capsule, and one capsule taken three times per day. As a demo while standing in front of a class I may take two capsules. Voila! 20 minutes later, no wheezing.  I have done it many times in front of a class.  No more than three capsules should be taken per day and no more than for the acute phase or 3 days.

Although I am personally extremely wary about taking essential oils internally, I can only reiterate the words of Phyllis V. Shaudys [author of The Pleasure of Herbs and Herbal Treasures]....Jeanne Rose....Many of us learned about aromatherapy from her early books long before the term was a household word....Most aromatherapists consider her the leading expert on the subject in America....That’s good enough for me: thanks Jeanne for taking the trouble to elucidate.

Adverse reactions.
Several contact me about adverse reactions to essential oils, often oils which are widely used in aromatherapy, and therefore I am constantly on the lookout for any research studies that might provide a clue.

According to the latest edition of Proof! magazine [77 Grosvenor Avenue, London N5 2NN], allergic reactions to plant extracts commonly used in toiletries and cosmetics for their fragrance and medicinal properties may be more common than suspected.

In a small study [Thomson, K.F. and Wilkinson, S.M., Br. J. Dermatol., 2000; 142: 84-88], researchers used skin-patch tests to measure the responses to plant extracts, fragrances and essential oils in 27 women and two men in their 40s who had been diagnosed as having cosmetic dermatitis.

Results indicated that fragrances derived from plant extracts were the most common allergen; 79% of the trial subjects had a positive response. But 59% experienced an allergic reaction to plant extracts. Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Wiggers), feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schulz. Bip.) and members of the Compositae (which include the Chamomiles (Matricaria recutita L. and Chamaemelum nobile L.) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.)) represented the most common allergens.  More than a third of the study participants reacted to balsam of Peru (Myroxylon pereirae (Royle) Klotzsch).

Watt’s What!
An adverse reaction to Peru Balsam surprised me not at all.  Martin Watt in his excellent handy reference, Plant Aromatics Set 4 [Effects on the Skin of Aromatic Extracts], devotes several pages to the subject.  He comments: The reports of adverse effects are too numerous to list here. Peru Balsam is an extremely common cause of cosmetics sensitization. He also mentions that there have been cross reactions between Peru Balsam and the Chamomiles.

In recent years reports have tended to challenge aromatherapy authors and teachers who say “tea tree oil may be applied to the skin neat”.  Martin suggests that particular care should be taken when prescribing tea tree oil for use by atopic people [those who suffer from allergies, or have a genetic family history of allergies].

Whilst reactions to Blue Chamomile oil seem extremely rare, Martin advises that adverse reactions to the fresh plant material are more frequent. The same seems to apply to Roman Chamomile, but he does point out two cases of eczema of the nipple and areola. This followed the application of an ointment containing 10.5% aqueous extracts and oil of Roman Chamomile. It was suggested that lactating women using such products should wash their nipples before nursing to avoid sensitizing the infant.

What about Yarrow? As fresh yarrow is well recorded as causing photo-induced dermatitis, the utmost caution is required when applying this oil to the skin. To make matters worse the chemical composition of the different kinds of yarrow oil is enormously variable.  Martin has heard of two unrecorded cases of sensitivity reactions to yarrow oil.

Perhaps Messrs. Thomson and Wilkinson should get a copy of Plant Aromatics?!

Some talk of Slugs and Caterpillars, Witchetties and Mites.
A small company in Kidderminster has scored an unlikely exports hit - selling beer-based slug traps to the Middle East. I am as surprised as Inge Beaumont, managing director of Westfield Products, that slugs can survive the blazing heat of the Gulf but, it turns out they’re a real problem between April and September, according to Mrs. Beaumont.

Mrs. Beaumont experimented with a Kaliber (the alcohol-free lager) filled trap in her back garden.  Apparently its yeasty aroma was just as effective in luring slugs to their doom as more intoxicating brews, which suited the Saudis fine as alcohol is strictly forbidden in Saudi Arabia.  Thus the chance enquiry, for the Slug X slug trap on the Garden 365 website, was transformed into an order for several hundred traps.  Amazing!

Meanwhile did you see The Secret Life of the Family on television on 5th July? I did not, and so do not even know upon which Channel it was. Horrendous!  Demodex!  Microscopic in size, munching its way through the balding actor’s scalp! Do you know anything!  Would it succumb to a healthy dose of tea tree? Dumbfounded, I scrabbled through my library. Nix!

I regret that I know little about dermatozoons [for I believe that is what animal parasites of the skin are called]. I suspected that it might be Demodex folliculorum, a mite found in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the nose and face, which causes enlargement of the hair follicles. However I did recollect another Demodex species, which I had come across whilst researching Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.).

In India it is common practice to apply neem oil alone or along with cedarwood oil externally to cattle, for any type of skin disease of any pathogenicity and even on wounds.  Sometimes the animal is also made to drink the oil. It is said that neem oil aids in healing skin, and thus gives relief to infestation

Neem preparations have been found effective for various ectoparasitic insects. In demodectic mange of dogs, a lotion with neem soap gave very good results (Tripathy, S.B., Tripathy, S.N. and Das, P.K. (1988) Therapeutic efficacy of Himax (lotion) and Trichlorfon in treatment of demodectic mange of dogs. Pashudhan, 3, 5).  A compound herbal preparation containing Himalayan cedarwood (Cedrus deodora G. Don. f.) and neem controlled canine dermatitis caused by Demodex canis and Sarcoptes spp. Hair appeared after 24-28 days and there were no symptoms of toxicity (Das, S.S. and Bhatia B.B. (1993) Comparative therapeutic evaluation of Ectozee aerosol spray and Betnovate-N against mite causing canine dermatitis.  Indian Journal of Indigenous Medicine, 10, 9-10). It was also effective in canine demodecosis in dogs with severe cutaneous lesions around the ear, neck and head, skin encrustation and pruritis due to Demodex canis (Das, S.S. (1993) Efficacy of Pestoban aerosol spray in treatment of canine demodecosis.  Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, 7, 67-69).

The crippling Chaga’s Disease, which has infected about 20 million Latin Americans, is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellate protozoa found in the blood, which is spread by so-called “kissing bugs” (Rhodnius prolixus). Research done in Germany and Brazil has shown that feeding neem to the kissing bugs not only frees them of parasites, but azadarachtin [a component of neem] prevents the young insects from moulting and the adults from reproducing (Azambuja, P. et al. (1991) Immune depression in Rhodnius prolixus induced by the growth inhibitor, Azadarachtin.  Journal of Insect Physiology, 37, 771-7). According to the research leader: The bug has been affected in such a fundamental way that it is no longer attractive to, or a viable host for, the parasite.  I wonder if neem, applied to the scalp, would have a similar effect against the “muncher”: it is certainly effective for killing headlice and for giving relief in itching.  Fascinating!

Already wilting, I was barely prepared for my next question: Are witchetty grubs medicinal? enquired an aromatherapist, recently returned from Alice Springs. Aha! Well first let me tell you the story of the witchetty grub.

Pitjantjatjara legends say that when heavy rains pounded the deserts hairy caterpillars were tossed to the ground and stripped of their hairs. Finding themselves naked and grounded they crawled into the earth and became witchetty grubs. [So much for Darwin!]

In the central deserts of Australia, these self-same hairy processionary caterpillars were used as remedies by the Pitjantjatjara Aborigines. The hairy bags they weave were carefully cleaned and placed as a bandage over burns, which quickly healed.  However old Aborigines say these caterpillars were once also used as murder weapons: the unsuspecting victim was punched in the stomach, and upon gasping, the caterpillar’s irritating hairs were thrown into the mouth, quickly swelling the throat and choking the victim to death, without leaving signs of any injury.  [What do you make of that, Holmes?!].

Witchetty grubs (Cossidae spp.) are the most important food of the desert and a much valued staple in the diet of women and children. They are found in the superficial roots of the “witchetty bush” (Acacia kempeana F. Muell.) [A decoction of the leaves of which is used as a wash, for severe colds. If preparation of the leaves is inconvenient, e.g., while travelling, they may be simply chewed, and the saliva swallowed].  The grubs are cooked quickly in the ashes of a fire, great care being taken to push away the coals.  Jennifer Isaacs, author of Bush Food, considers them a luxury food of world class, unique to Australia.  I have tried them, but would not be so enthusiastic!  Some say they taste like almonds. [I still prefer marzipan!].

Whilst some may have already known that witchetties are good “tucker”, few realise that they were used as medicines. The ground-up grubs were rubbed over the body to cure ills such as headaches and sore eyes. [I’ll stick with the oils!].
 
A New Sandalwood Oil.
As some will know, one of my favourite spots in the world is New Caledonia in the South West Pacific.  Therefore I am always interested in any essential oil from this idyllic island group.

I was aware that Sandalwood (Santalum spp.) had once been widely distributed throughout the Pacific but when I lived there I was never particularly conscious of any essential oil production.

Sandalwood was first discovered on the Ile des Pins, a gorgeous little island not far from Noumea, in 1840 by Edouard Foxhall du Camden.  News of the discovery created a rush to New Caledonia and, as early as 1865, overexploitation led to a shortage.

Although the industry was resurrected at the end of the 19th century it remained an anarchic business, fuelled by strong speculative interests.  It was only in 1987/88 that government and environmental agencies stepped in to stop this economic and ecological waste. With the crucial support of the local population, regulated logging and systematic replanting were introduced.

The species - Santalum austrocaledonicum Vieill. - is a new one to me. With a sweet and woody sandal aroma [I like it], the oil contains between 40 and 50% alpha-santalol and about 20% beta-santalol. Current production is around 1.5 tonnes per annum, but can be increased according to demand.  This is good news, as no export licences for East Indian product have yet been issued this year and stocks are running low.

Catnip Considered.
Leaflet No. 78, Hints on Bobcat Trapping, by Stanley P. Young, Bureau of Biological Survey, Washington D.C., June, 1931, suggests that, for the purpose of trapping animals, oil of catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) should be diluted in the proportion of 35 drops of pure oil to 2 ounces of petroleum jelly, which is used to give body to the oil, and to prevent loss of the scent by evaporation or exposure to rain.

An efficient lure for the trapping of bobcats, lynx, cougars, pumas, mountain lions and all predatory felines, the oil has been successfully used in every section of North America where wild cats are hunted.  Nepetalactone, an iridoid [the name derives from Iridomyrmex, a genus of ants which produces these compounds as a defensive system, interestingly sequestered by Romalea guttata grasshoppers], is the component of the oil which sensitizes a genetically inherited response in Felidae so that cats behave as with cannabis, even our own domestic moggie, but similar activity is found in the urine of tomcats and so the plant could possibly be mimicking a pheromone associated with courtship behaviour. Cats will destroy any plant that happens to be bruised.  It is said: If you set it, the cats will eat it; If you sow it, the cats don’t know it.

And it seems to be fact that plants transplanted are always destroyed by cats unless protected, but they never interfere with plants raised from seed, being only attracted to it when it is in a withering state, or when the peculiar scent of the plant is excited by being bruised in gathering or transplanting. Rats on the other hand dislike the plant particularly, and will not approach it even when driven by hunger.

This type of mint has square stems, 2 to 3 feet high, which are very leafy and covered with a mealy down. The heart-shaped, toothed leaves are also covered with a soft, close down, especially on the undersides, which are quite white with it, so that the whole plant has a hoary, greyish appearance, as though it had had dust blown over it.

The flowers grow on short footstalks in dense whorls, which towards the top of the stem are so tight as almost to form a spike.  They bloom from July to September.  The flowers are small, the corollas two-lipped, the upper lip straight, of a whitish or pale pink colour, dotted with red spots, the anthers a deep red colour.  The calyx tube has fifteen ribs, a distinguishing feature of the Nepeta genus, a name which may be derived from the Roman town of Nepeti,
where catnip was valued and cultivated long ago.

In folk medicine, catnip leaves and flowers are usually steeped to make a pleasant tasting tea. Consumed prior to bedtime, catnip tea is widely believed to hasten slumber and assist in achieving a sound night’s sleep. It is also employed as a remedy in the treatment of tension and anxiety, and is mentioned as being a useful calmative for hyperactive children.  Catnip is also listed as a mild diaphoretic, helpful in eliminating toxins from the body, as well as acting as a carminative to support digestion, relieve upset stomach and control the symptoms of diarrhoea.

The essential oil, obtained by steam distillation of the flowering tops, contains nepetalic acid, nepetalic anhydride, beta-caryophyllene, and up to 42% alpha- and beta-nepetalactone, and its isomers.

The oil from Nepeta cateria L. var. citriodora Beck (sometimes erroneously referred to as Nepeta citriodora) contains a high proportion of citronellol (>48%), geraniol, neral, geranial and far less nepetalactone (>10%). 
 
The aromatherapy literature confirms that it could assist insomnia, nervousness, nightmares, especially when associated with indigestion, headaches associated with mild tension, as an adjunct for fits/convulsions, restlessness, hiccoughs, child’s colic, and diarrhoea. It is considered particularly useful for the treatment of colds, flu, and chronic bronchitis. Some also use it for muscle aches and pains, and rheumatism.

Open Day!
Things tend to look bright in Finland in the summer warmth at this time of year, when it can still be light at midnight, even in the south of the country. 

This land of 1,000 lakes is the home of Ulla-Maija Grace, author of Aromatherapy for Practitioners, and therefore I was a little surprised when she walked into the office during a cold and wet English July. I was delighted to meet her, and her charming partner Teuvo: we chatted for hours.

After they had left, it suddenly occurred to me that she would be a marvellous speaker for this year’s Open Day.  I had already persuaded Martin Watt to come along to tell us a little about his recent adventures in Turkey, and perhaps offer the odd tip or two about toxicity and essential oils, and Karen Bourdon, who has an enviable family of her own pets, to share a few of her experiences of using essential oils in the treatment of animals, be they horses or tortoises. Ulla-Maija would be the icing on the cake!  Although already booked to lecture in Lapland on the Saturday, she unhesitatingly agreed to fly to join us on the Sunday. I am absolutely thrilled. 

She wrote in the introduction to her book: I became aware of the fact that activities of man are and have been a real threat to the purity of the essential oils that we use in aromatherapy.  How long will we be able to harvest plants that have at least some right to be called pure and natural? Do we as inhabitants of the Earth understand the importance of the quality of our environment, our food, and the medicines we use for our health and wellbeing?  As an aromatherapist the best way that I may have some influence on bringing this awareness to people is through my work as a therapist, as a teacher and now as an author.  It will be a rare pleasure to listen to this modest lady speaking about the subject for which she has an undying passion. A day not to be missed!

A burgeoning journal!
I have just received fresh from Australia the latest edition of Aromatherapy Today; not at all bad! Although I distribute the journal in the UK and Europe this does not prevent me from viewing it with a reader’s eye, and an advertiser’s critical scrutiny.

A trifle late, the principal editor John Kerr had assured me that it was well worth waiting for. He wasn’t wrong: the layout and design has certainly stepped up a gear and, with contributors such as Chrissie Wildwood, Jan Kusmirek and Sal Battaglia the quality of the content is assured.  I am particularly pleased to note that an index for previous issues has been included: I must get around to doing one for my old newsletters!  Slowly but surely, John and his team are carving themselves an enviable niche, as he always told me he would.  Well done, John!
I shall renew my subscription!

Finally....
Many apologies to all those who missed out in the Summer Clearance, but much had cleared by noon on the first day!  There will be others!




charles@essentiallyoils.com
 

previous     next