Another excellent, but wet, Open Day!  A slightly smaller turnout than usual, due to fuel fears, it rollicked along with spirited contributions from our authoritative guests. In fact, I wondered if Ulla-Maija and Martin would ever stop jovially jousting. Beaky, my 15-year-old miniature dachshund, however was completely disdainful (much to the amusement of the assembled company) of Karen’s attentions. All, I think, were agreed that he is inured to essential oils. Do humans, I wonder, become similarly indifferent? He succumbed later to the impromptu Bowen Technique of Ian Barber, and is a new dog.  Truthfully, I am amazed. The improvement in his overall condition is significant.
Bowen Technique reviewed.
The technique’s name is from its originator, Tom Bowen, who lived and worked in Geelong, Australia. Today, nearly twenty years after his death in 1982, he is recognised as a naturally gifted, largely self-taught therapist who, through his own special technique, managed to help thousands of people overcome or be able to cope with a wide range of injury, illness and disability.

Exactly how the technique achieves the results it does is a matter of conjecture but several theories have been put forward and, as its practice grows around the world, a number of research programmes have been proposed and carried out.

One idea is that Bowen simply “re-connects” the parts of the body with the brain, using the many receptors distributed throughout the body.  The precise, minimal moves ‘switch’the brain into a simple form of holistic examination.  Information is then exchanged and structural integrity restored. This would explain the rapid response rate that often results with Bowen, even in long-standing conditions, as the technique’s moves bring about an ‘un-blocking’ or ‘un-locking’ of communication and energy pathways.

The Bowen Technique, I understand, should not be mixed with other physical therapies such as Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Acupuncture, Massage, etc.  A gap of seven days should be left between Bowen and any other treatment.  However, Bowen does mix very beneficially with homoeopathy, flower and herbal remedies and nutritional therapy.

Although I never met Tom Bowen, he was a legend in Geelong when Justin was at school there during our time in Australia, running a clinic for disabled children and injured footballers. In the 1970s, the Australian Government Report into Complementary Therapies found that he was treating 13,000 people.  Since his death the therapy has flourished around the world. Introduced to the UK in 1994, there are now 500 practitioners around the country. Unsurprisingly, Ian shares his mentor’s amazing energy and passion for his work.  Want to know more?  Try www.TheBowenTechnique.com or www.bowentechnique.co.uk  

Ton Up!
I was a little surprised to discover that I have now written more than 100 Newsletters: no wonder that I am finding it increasingly difficult to come up with something new. Of course I console myself with the thought that there are daily new readers who cannot possibly have read about what I was jabbering almost ten years ago.  On the other hand, with modern technology, my earlier labours are only a “click” away on our Website. Thus, on occasions, I really have to dig deep.

Ave Aromatica!
I imagine that other publications must have a similar problem and yet, this month, another magazine joins the burgeoning ranks of aromatherapy-orientated periodicals. A dazzling revamp of the former Butterbur and Sage newsletter, Aromatica is devoted to the wider, scientific use of aromatherapy, and is aimed to take a more positive stance on all aspects of complementary medicine. With Bernie Hephrun, Martin Watt and Dietrich Wabner listed amongst the authors and contributors, I doubt that it will hesitate to take a hefty swipe at any obfuscation.  If it sticks to its declared objectives, it could become essential reading.    

An old chestnut revisited.
Looking through the list of ingredients of cosmetic products, I detect that many contain parabens, which some believe contain chemicals with hormonal properties. Several have contacted me to express concern over their use by people with hormone-dependent cancers.
What is the function of these chemicals in skincare products, shampoos, etc.?.....Is there an alternative?.....What is your opinion of the risk they might pose?

The parabens, methyl-, propyl-, butyl- and ethyl-, are probably the most commonly used cosmetic preservatives.  They have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, are [thought] safe to use - relatively nonirritating, nonsensitizing, and nonpoisonous - are stable over the pH range in cosmetics, and are sufficiently soluble in water to be effective in liquids.  The typical paraben preservative system contains 0.2% methyl- and 0.1% propylparaben.

I think that it is sometimes forgotten that, when creating a new product, the formulating chemist is presented with numerous oils, esters, and other emollients, a large selection of emulsifiers and multitudinous botanical extracts.  When the creation requires preservation against microbiological spoilage, choice is limited to Schedule 4 of 76/768/EEC, List of Preservatives which Cosmetic Products must not contain except subject to Restrictions.

After reviewing the restrictions, looking at chemical incompatibles between possible preservatives and the essential ingredients of the formulation, plus the pH of the product and the effect this has on the efficacy of the preservative, the choice becomes more limited. Add to this the marketing requirements, which will undoubtedly include no recent animal testing, the possibility of export markets with different regulations and a wish not to have long chemical sounding words on the ingredient listing, and the difficulty becomes one of finding a suitable material at all rather than one of selection.  I bet that you thought that we just threw everything into a bucket, and prayed!

Bacteria need water, and it is in the water phase that contamination problems are most likely to be found.  Unfortunately, many preservatives have low water solubility, and there is the added problem in emulsions that some material may migrate into the oil phase. The concentration of the preservative at the interface of emulsion droplets may also increase to the detriment of their effectiveness in preserving the aqueous phase against microbiological spoilage. Also, preservatives generally have a higher solubility in natural oils: ideally they should have a high water solubility and be poorly soluble in oil. The parabens seem more effective than most.

Whilst the preservative properties of essential oils are exciting, many oils are strongly scented and not every consumer wants a skin cream to smell of sage or tea tree.  Numerous essential oils have been tested for antimicrobial properties against many different micro-organisms with variable results. Whilst some appear to be the most effective biocides, the micro-organisms against which they have been tested are mostly skin related species and not those which are primarily responsible for microbial spoilage of products.  More work needs to be done.

Can parabens harm us?
Honestly I do not know.  Although some good scientific studies have already proved that some people are hypersensitive to chemicals, the crux of the problem is really finding out exactly how these chemicals damage us - which of our chemical pathways they disturb.

There is no way to determine, for instance, if a single chemical disrupts hormones, say, simply by examining its molecular make up. You have to subject it to a battery of tests, which, incidentally, have yet to be devised. Just consider, for a moment, the prospect of testing 70,000 chemicals [which is how many I think there were at the last count], one by one.   

An even more mountainous problem concerns the effect of these substances in tandem.  I believe that the combined effect of two or three pesticides at low levels as might be found in most ordinary environments magnifies by up to 1600 the effects of any insecticide itself.  So that means that it makes sense to test these chemicals in combination. But as Rachel’s Environment and Health Weekly pointed out (13 June, 1996): To test just the commonest 1000 toxic chemicals in unique combinations of three would require at least 166 million different experiments (and this disregards the need to study varying doses).  Even if each experiment took just one hour to complete and 100 laboratories worked round the clock seven days a week, testing all possible unique three-way combinations of 1000 chemicals would take over 180 years to complete.  I have not checked the maths but, it makes you think!

An enigma.
I must admit that when I was researching this piece, with the considerable assistance of Woodruff’s Ingredients & Formulary Handbook, I did flick back to the original article on Toxic Toiletries [WDDTY, October 1999] which probably prompted the questions, and there have been many about such ingredients as propylene glycol and sodium lauryl sulphate, as well as the parabens. However why did none enquire about the potential hazard of fragrance which, after all, was a major part of the article? Is it that none believe that a violation of the limbic system by volatile chemicals plays an important role in multiple chemical sensitivity [Biol. Psychiatry, 1992; 32: 218-42; Toxicol. Ind. Health, 1992; 8: 181-202], or that fragrances can be quick to saturate the blood, but slow to clear the body [Chem. Senses, 1996; 21: 477-80]? Or is it simply that people who live in glasshouses are reluctant  to throw stones in their own backyard?!

Tongue-in-cheek, or a great idea?
In a single week, from reading the English newspapers, I have seen so many useful health tips that I feel someone should collect them all in a new pharmacopoeia, writes Auberon Waugh in the Daily Telegraph.

Some of his healthy hints will be known to most. For example, licking wounds helps to heal them [US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research]: animals have been doing it since the year dot. Although it might sound unhygienic, I have always allowed my dogs to lick those wounds that I cannot reach myself. Saliva contains a protein with anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties which also blocks HIV-I infection. However I did not know that a cream made in Bordeaux from squashed leeches cures wrinkles, and I am disinclined to find out.

On the other hand, a case in Glasgow where a P.E. teacher needed emergency treatment after applying a bag of frozen peas to a bruise [how often have you done that?] leads a writer in the British Journal of Sports Medicine to urge that frozen peas should not be applied to bruises for more than 30 minutes for fear of frostbite.

Finally, a microbiologist at the University of Wales in Cardiff claims to have discovered the cure for MRSA. Surprise, surprise!  The cure is honey.  As Waugh comments, it all seems so easy, so long as we go easy on the frozen peas. Mind you, in retirement, I am very tempted to take him up on his idea.

Finnish Foray!
At our recent Open Day it was suggested that Ulla-Maija Grace might be persuaded to run a Three Day Advanced Aromatherapy Course in Finland, for a few qualified aromatherapists, during that wonderful midsummer period of the Nightless Night!  Well, she has agreed!

To include four nights accommodation in a very good quality hotel situated in the centre of Turku, with abundant Finnish-style breakfast and free use of the Finnish Sauna in the morning and the evening, and three days lectures at the Finnish College of Aromatherapy, the Foray will also include a boat cruise to Naantali, an evening meal in the romantic atmosphere of the 100-year-old Merisali spa pavillion, followed by coffee at the exotic Naantali Spa Hotel, and sandwich lunches and tea/coffee and biscuits each day at the college.

Unfortunately this unique opportunity has to be restricted to only 25 persons. Departing from Stansted on 14th June 2001 at the reasonable hour of 0925, we shall return at 1730 on 18th June 2001. Personally I think that it will prove to be a wonderful alternative to the more familiar spots in southern Europe.  Turku is a vivid combination of past and present, a lively tourist city favoured not just for its unique charm but also for the beauty of its surroundings. Once the capital of Finland, it is home to some of the most important monuments in Finnish history.  For those less inclined to culture there’s a lot else going on in Turku, especially in the summer.       
However, if Ulla-Maija and I are to turn this into reality, we need to hear from you as soon as possible.  By that time I should have an idea of approximate cost, but I doubt that it will be too onerous.

A research challenge for Charles possibly??
Do you know anything about Australian White Cypress? faxed Margaret Weeds. Your Newsletter of December 1999 refers to Blue Cypress (Callitris intratropica) but I understand this one also has anti-inflammatory properties - it includes guaiazulene too - but is less expensive than Blue Chamomile even, but has similar properties.  The ref. was for an extract so I’m not too sure if essential oil, if available, conforms to [the] same criteria.  Any info. gratefully appreciated. Hold on! To which White Cypress is she referring?

White Cypress differentiated.
To my knowledge there are two species of Callitris which are commonly referred to as White Cypress [Pine]: Callitris columellaris F. Muell., which is synonymous with C. glauca R.Br. ex Mirb., and Callitris glaucophylla J. Thompson & L. Johnson. Still, let us have a look at both; at least Margaret has let me off researching Black Cypress (Callitris endlicheri (Parl.) Bailey), a known anthelmintic for horses.

C. columellaris, also known as Bribie Island pine, is a medium to large tree which occurs on the coastal dunes of eastern Australia between Frazer Island in Queensland and the northern rivers area of New South Wales. There has been much confusion in the past over species identity and Dr. Eric Lassak, when he wrote his Australian Medicinal Plants in the early 1980s, treated the species as three geographic races, which might well be regarded as distinct species, but the correct name for the most common (the inland ‘white pine’) had not been finally determined. This confusion was clarified in a taxanomic study in 1986 [J. Thompson and L.A.S. Johnson, Callitris glaucophylla: Australia’s White Cypress Pine - A new name for an old species. Telopea, 2(6), 731-736]. Lassak considered that C. columellaris had no medicinal use as such, except that the resinous exudate often found on the stumps or on cut logs (‘Australian sandarac’) was used by the pharmaceutical industry for the coating of pills.  It was also used to fill decayed teeth.

Nonetheless I thought that Margaret was probably referring to C. glaucophylla, as this stately tree, which occurs on rocky ridges and sandy plains throughout inland Australia south of the Tropic of Capricorn, had been used by outback Aborigines as a versatile medicine for colds, sores and other ills.  Leaves were smoked over a fire, soaked to make a wash, or mixed with fat to make ointment.  Today, in certain outback communities, the leaves and branches are still burnt in a small pit or thrown onto the fire.  The patient stands or crouches in the smoke for some time, then sleeps.  The volatile oil released by the heat and the diaphoresis produced during the therapy have a beneficial effect on the patient.

Wood or Leaf Oil?
However my analytical references on the leaf oil did not stack up with Margaret’s comments: the major components are listed as alpha-pinene (48%), myrcene (13%) and limonene (24%), with minor amounts of camphene (2.0%), fenchyl acetate (7.8%) and isobornyl acetate (3.9%), and traces of beta-pinene, gamma-terpinene, alpha-terpinolene, etc.  There is no mention of azulene, or similar. Then it occurred that she might be referring to oil from the wood, rather than from the leaf.

Callitris wood is a valuable flooring material.  Another feature of the wood is its resistance to termite attack. The termite resistance is believed to be due to the gamma-lactones in solvent extracted wood oils. The gamma-lactones are potentially useful as insecticides and also as anti-tumour agents and insect antifeedants.  A team from the University of Queensland determined to find out more [Doimo, L. et al. Comparison in the g-lactone content of Oils and Extracts from White Cypress Pine. J. Ess. Oil Res., 11, 415-422, 1999]. Sawdust of C. glaucophylla, predominantly from the heartwood, was either steam-distilled or subjected to solvent extraction.

The steam distillation samples sometimes formed two phases: a white crystalline solid and a brown oil. These two phases were analyzed as separate samples (SOLID) and (OIL) respectively.  The solid was rich in guaiol, selinenes and eudesmols while the oil was richer in (-)-citronellic acid, methyl geranate and gamma-lactones.  Also found were three compounds previously mentioned only from Blue Cypress. All the distilled oils contained only low levels (<10%) of gamma-lactones. 

The solvent-extracted samples contained guaiol (20-24%) and eudesmols (16-20%).  Most importantly, these oils were all richer in gamma-lactones (45-52%). The distributions of the various g-lactones were: columellarin (16-21%) >dihydrocolumellarin (8-10%) >callitrisin (5.2-6.4%) and >callitrin (4.3-5.6%), amongst others.

Digging Deeper.
I contacted Australia: Yes we are distilling the wood oil, no the lazulene is not produced from the solid, it has come from an unusual set of circumstances that occurred during test distillation of some cypress sawdust that was from a different source of glaucophylla dust.  I have earmarked it as being a lazulene variety.....Our oil is steam distilled and not solvent extracted and therefore does not have the high levels of g-lactones but more volatiles, e.g., neric acid, methyl geranate and citronellic acid.....The oil tends to be more of a rustic rose fragrance.

I have analysed both the lazulene variety and the glaucophylla.  Yes, there are differences but, overall, they are quite similar.  However both contain the sesquiterpene alcohols guaiol and bulnesol as major components.  Do any remember when I last mentioned these?

Of course, in Guaiac Wood (Bulnesia sarmienti Lorentz ex. Griseb.).  I wrote in my June 2000 missive: It has a pleasant, soft and mellow rose-like odour, resembling that of tea roses, and to a slight degree that of violets.....Guaiazulene obtained from guaiac wood by dehydration of guaiol has been demonstrated to have antiinflammatory activity.....It is suggested that it might be useful for the treatment of arthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis and simple water retention.  Much the same, I believe, can be said of Glaucophylla.  Has anyone else, I wonder, spotted this similarity?
      
The First Citrus of the Western World?
Would you like a sample of Ethrog oil, enquired a customer from Israel?  Ethrog?!  You bet I would!

Known since remote antiquity in Mesopotamia and Egypt the Citron (Citrus medica L.) was the first citrus to reach Europe in the second millennium B.C. Codifying the ancient law, Talmudic Sages left no doubt that Citron, known in Hebrew as ethrog, is indeed “pri etz hadar” - “the fruit of the goodly tree” - mentioned in Leviticus, which has been used by Jews for thousands of years during the Feast of Tabernacles.

You shall take on the first day fruits of the goodly trees,
branches of palm trees, boughs of thick trees and willows of the brook
and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.
 
Asserting ethrog, as “hadar”, Scripture scholars point out close similarity between aroma of the fruit and aroma of the leaves.  This quality of Citron is independently mentioned by ancient European scientists (Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny, and others) who called it Persian or Median-apple.

Propagation and cultivation of ethrog to be kosher for the Feast of Tabernacles are governed by very strict regulations, which, in fact, worked to protect survival and purity of the species.  This makes ethrog proably the only survivor of the original ancient form of C. medica.

Two distinct varieties of ethrog are known today: one (Citrus medica L. var. ethrog Engl.) traditionally used by Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jewry alike, which is usually the size of a large lemon, and another (Citrus medica L.) cultivated and used by the community of Yemenite Jews, which is much larger and contains no juice cells.

All the ancient authors emphasized the beautiful smell of citron fruit.  Indeed, citrons produce an extremely strong and pleasant odour.  A few fruits on the table will fill the whole house with a wonderful fragrance.  Citron seems to be the only citrus fruit which emits a smell without its skin being ruptured to expose an essential oil.  Interestingly the smell is not citrusy, being very reminiscent of violets. The aroma will persist for weeks until the fruit dries out, shrinking to the size of a large pecan, but never rotting.  This is also true for the “fingered” variety of citron (Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis Swingle).  This violet-like odour would be consistent with high levels of b-ionone, but b-ionone is present only in minor amounts (0.01%) in the peel oil of these ethrogs.  It therefore seems, according to Zhenia and Alexander Fleisher [Perfumer & Flavorist, 1996, 21(6), 11-16], that b-ionone is not actually a component of the essential oil, but is continuously formed in the surface layer of the peel tissue and slowly released into the atmosphere.

Odour similarity between fruit and leaves is one of the main characteristics of a true ethrog. With the exception of lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.), which is closely related or even a descendant of Citrus medica, the composition of leaf essential oils of other Citrus species are very different from the composition of the corresponding fruits [Fleisher, Z. and Fleisher, A. Citrus Petitgrain Oils of Israel. Perfumer & Flavorist, 1991, 16(1), 43-47].

About 50 years ago, Walter T. Swingle [The Botany of Citrus and Its Wild Relatives of the Orange Subfamily] conjectured: The early advent of the citron in Media and Persia, and its subsequent slow penetration into India and China, could be explained easily if the citron should prove to be a native of Southern Arabia.....It would not be surprising to find midway between India and Africa, in some mountain oasis within the tropical zone in Arabia, the citron growing in a wild state. 

The uniqueness of Yemenite ethrog and its traditional use for thousands of years offers considerable support for this hypothesis.  If indeed Citrus medica is native to Southern Arabia, it would have reached the Holy Land about the same time as myrrh and frankincense along the same well-established trade routes. Certainly there is evidence [Talmud, Succah 36B] that a very large variety of ethrog fruits were known in the Holy Land 1,800 years ago.  Thus, Yemenite ethrog, which has survived to this day, could well be the original form of Citrus medica and the predecessor of lemon.

Recent Reading.
Coincidentally, whilst reviewing The Aromatherapy Workshop by Nicole Perez I see that under her historical notation on Neroli she mentions....Under the name of Median apple, Theophrastus knew of an Orange tree originating from Asia and introduced by Alexander the Great. He described it as a tree with evergreen leaves, bearing inedible fruits, the skin of which was very perfumed....Orange? I think not! However apart from that, the odd spelling mistake, and sometimes doubtful philology, I enjoyed this book very much: it is easy to understand, concise and educative.  Recommended.

For those still confused about the issue of Statutory Regulation, and I am sure that many still are, may I suggest that you read Ian Smith’s “Chairman’s letter”in the latest edition of Aromatherapy World (Harvesting, Autumn, September 2000): the most succinct presentation that I have read to date, and it makes some sense too! 

Ian also reminds me, in a recent e-mail, that the AOC (Aromatherapy Organisations Council) is committed to a non-elitist tiered system of registration.  Any moves towards statutory regulation would not be exclusive, all those involved in aromatherapy would be invited to participate.  The only restriction would be on the basis of the training individuals had undergone. In the short term (and he is only guessing, as these discussions have yet to take place, but probably two years) those who required additional training would be given time to achieve this. This seems eminently reasonable to me. However, I would only ask that examination boards within aromatherapy make it abundantly clear which examination qualifies for what level of competence.

I read in the Institute for Complementary Medicine’s Policy Statement that the ICM recognises three major groups of qualification for people practising Complementary Medicine:         

1. Therapist Qualification - clinical medical assessment as mainly used by the Beauty Industry and others working in an auxiliary position.
    
2. Practitioner Qualification - specialist medical diagnosis and treatment offered to remedy illness. Available from the self-employed Complementary practitioner and clinics.
    
3. Advanced Practitioner Qualification - for teachers and others with higher levels of qualification and specialisation.

Applied to aromatherapy, which of current examinations would qualify for which categories? Perhaps someone will let me know.
 

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