Too often, when orders flow in from mainland Europe, I am asked, for VAT purposes, if the customer lives within the European Union. When there were only 15 member states, I could just about muster the correct answer, but now that there are 27 I am not so sure. In fact, it is quite strange to think that the Union is already 50-years-old. Of course, it was not called the European Union in the beginning.

In 1957, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, West Germany and Italy founded the European Economic Community. However in 1973, when Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the economic bloc, it became the European Community. Greece acceded to the Community in 1981, and in 1986 Portugal and Spain joined the club.

With the reunification of Germany in 1990, the former East Germany entered the fold. Three years later, the Maastricht Treaty established the European Union. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the Union in 1995, and the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia all entered in 2004. This year, Bulgaria and Romania became the latest member states. Half-a-century ago, the suggestion of such a union would have been scarcely credible.

Reading the jottings of fellow Repton alumnus Jeremy Clarkson in this weekend’s Sunday Times, invariably well-researched and thought-provoking, I was reminded that twenty-seven species of fauna became extinct during the 19th century, including the great auk and quagga (a South African intermediate between the ass and the zebra). What’s more, the Passenger pigeon, Carolina parakeet and Tasmanian wolf were also lost to the world in the first twenty years of the 20th century, and the Pyrenean ibex and Ms. Waldron’s red colobus monkey have already become extinct this century. Still, as Clarkson poignantly observes, there are many new creatures still to be discovered on this planet.

Only the other week, scientists found 24 previously unknown species in the South American rainforest, including a rather fetching psychedelic-coloured frog. All in all, he concludes that the animal kingdom is well able of taking care of itself and that, when push comes to shove, the only creatures that really matter are those in our social group, and our children. Fine, but  I think we should always give a thought for the plight of others too, whatever the pressure.

Jan and I started our married life in Thailand. ‘Thailand’ means ‘Land of the Free’, and it is the only country in south-east Asia that has never been colonised by a European power. Thai citizens are the most avid television viewers in the world, averaging 22.4 viewing hours every week, and yet they also spend 9.4 hours per week reading, second only to India. Thus, bearing this in mind, I was horrified to read recently that around 400,000 people from eight different tribal groups in Thailand are still classified as ‘stateless’ [Overseas, 2, 2007, 16-17].

Being classified as ‘stateless’ means that citizenship of the country is denied. Deprived of it, there is no entitlement to education, social services or land tenure. Travel within the Kingdom is also restricted. Permits must be obtained, which is a lengthy bureaucratic process, which is  most humiliating for a loyal subject of the world’s longest-reigning monarch (61 years).  I recollect that the Thailand Citizenship Act of 1965 effectively denied certain indigenous people access to fundamental rights, access to protection, and access to expression as persons under the law. Even today, the Act states that it is not possible for a person born in Thailand to get citizenship if both parents are not Thai.

There are many families among the hill tribes who have lived in Thailand for generations, but they do not have the necessary documents to prove it. A birth certificate is a necessary document in claiming citizenship of any country, but some parents never obtained it because they were ignorant of the process, and the older generation often thought it not important.

Now is the time to change the law, so that all children born in Thailand are automatically granted Thai citizenship, and to educate the hill tribes of Thailand. Hundreds of hill tribe members were killed during former prime minister Thaksin’s war on drugs in 2003, which, together with assassination attempts on a number of hill tribe activists, created a climate of fear among the community. With Thaksin ousted, there is a feeling that things could improve under the new government. I sincerely hope so, because they are a persecuted people.
Help with MND.
No sooner had I penned my piece on Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in the last newsletter than I received news that an old associate, who has striven all his life to ensure a comfortable retirement, has been diagnosed recently with MND. The Almighty can be very cruel, but Ann Kirkpatrick provides hope for some relief.

Ann has been a volunteer for the MND Association for the last five years and visits people living with MND in their homes, giving massage and reflexology. When she first introduced the idea to the Leicestershire and Rutland Branch of the Association it was greeted with some trepidation - but also a great deal of enthusiasm. Now she works closely with MND nurses in Leicestershire, and there is a waiting list for her services.

Without exception, she has found the people she visits wonderful people who welcome her into their homes and enjoy their treatments. Feedback has been most positive - relaxation; ability to sleep; release of tight, sore muscles and relief from constipation. There are ‘hidden’ benefits as well - the release of endorphins which act as natural painkillers. These assist the respiratory system, improve the circulation, and also reduce tension.

The MND Association is taking an active interest in Complementary Therapies and has produced an information sheet (Number 13, if you wish to contact the MND Helpline on 01604 250505) suggesting different oils which can be used to good effect.

Ann has often used Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea L.) to help relax muscle spasms - it is very useful also for the emotional stress which accompanies this unforgiving disease. Benzoin (Styrax benzoin Dryander) also assists tired muscles and helps emotionally for the patient to come to terms with the disease. Ann reports that Lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.) has been useful for ‘slack’ muscles as well as for muscular pain and poor circulation.

If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer Visitor for the MND Association, Ann urges you to contact the Head Office in Northampton on the above number - it is so worthwhile and such rewarding work.
Further comment on recycling.
Hi, I have been meaning to ask you whether the white foam pieces in your packaging are recyclable? What are they made of? e-mailed Eva Gardener. She is not the only one to ask but, being no longer in charge, Justin provides our mission statement.

The environmental impact of running a company is always at the forefront of decision making. We try to re-use, give away or, as a last resort, re-cycle everything possible. On
the whole, we try to do this at a “grass-roots” basis.

Of course they are! They are made from recycled polystyrene, which is recyclable and also re-usable. They are CFC-free in manufacture and the company that produces them recycled more than 3.5 million kilos of expanded polystyrene in 2006. What’s more, it also supports a project called “the peanut hotline” (in the USA they are called packing peanuts), which tells people where they can drop them off to be re-used.

Thus far, Justin’s “grass-roots” approach has attracted an almost endless stream of home winemakers, anglers, gardeners and builders seeking his giveaway 25 litre containers. 200 litre vegetable oil drums are proving similarly attractive, for use as water butts. Now, after prolonged pressure, he and Jan have persuaded the local council to provide us facilities for cardboard recycling on site. Am I the next to be recycled, I wonder? 

Geranium’s role in aromatherapy.
Having extolled for several years the virtues of lavender from Kashmir, I was delighted when Dr. A.S. Shawl, from the Regional Research Laboratory in Srinagar, dropped in the other day clutching a sample of Geranium oil from the Laboratory’s Field Station at Pulwama.

Geranium (Pelargonium spp.) has always featured large in the boxes of aromatherapists, for there seems little that it cannot assist. Patricia Davis, in her seminal Aromatherapy an A-Z, provides quite a list of applications.

It is antidepressant and antiseptic. It is astringent and haemostatic, which makes it useful for treating injuries. It assists speedy healing. It is used in skincare, for its pleasant aroma, for its astringent and antiseptic properties and for its action in balancing the production of sebum. This makes it valuable for skins that are very dry or oily, or for dry skins with oily patches.

The balancing action arises from the fact that Geranium is an adrenal cortex stimulant. Hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex are primarily regulators, governing the balance of hormones secreted by other organs, including male and female sex organs. Thus, it is of great assistance in menopausal problems and all conditions where a fluctuating hormone balance is indicated. Geranium may be used particularly to relieve pre-menstrual tension, and here its diuretic properties are also involved, helping to relieve the excessive fluid retention which many women experience pre-menstrually.  
 
Geranium also has a stimulating effect on the lymphatic system, which, coupled with its diuretic action, is why it is often recommended in a massage cream for the treatment of cellulitis, fluid retention and oedema of the ankles. This double action helps the body to eliminate fluids more effectively, and is a valuable aid to elimination in general, having a tonic effect on the liver and the kidneys. It has been used to treat jaundice, kidney stones and various infections of the urinary tract.

Theoretically it is a good antiseptic for the mouth and throat, and could be used in gargles and mouthwashes for sore throats, ulcers and gum infections, but in practice many find the floral perfume distasteful.

Some consider geranium a sedative oil, but Davis comments that she knows of a number of instances where people were overexcited, restless or unable to sleep quite a few hours after using geranium, even in quite small amounts.

Origins of geranium.
The interest shown in growing scented-leaf geranium dates from the middle of the 19th century. At that time, the real ‘Rose of the Levant’ (Rosa damascena Mill.) became rare and the price of its essential oil reached excessive levels in Paris. This forced perfumers to look for new oils with a rose scent, and they remembered the distillation trials of rose geranium carried out in Lyon (France) in 1819. In 1844, the first geranium plantations were established in France, under the sunny skies of Provence.

From a physiological point of view, geranium cultivation requires generous sunshine and well-drained soils, rich in organic matter. The crop dreads frost and temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius as they are harmful to the growth and even to the survival of the plant.

However, from an agro-economic point of view, the traditional cultural practices are very labour consuming: preparation of cuttings for plantation, muck-spreading, hoeing for weed control, manual harvesting and firewood duty for distillation are costly operations. Also, in countries with a pronounced winter, the risk of frost necessitates shelter of the cuttings until the next planting season.

For these reasons, and because of the lack of mechanised solutions, production of geranium oil did not last long in France and moved to more merciful climes, where an abundant and cheap labour existed. From 1850, the French colonies of northern Africa and Indian Ocean seem predestined for the growing of geranium. The crop was introduced to Algeria in 1847, and was on an industrial basis there by 1865. In 1880 the plant was introduced to Reunion in the Indian Ocean where it would be distilled for the first time in 1882. After the turn of the 20th century, the crop was attempted in Corsica, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, Southern Russia, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, India, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Comoro Islands and, most recently, China in the 1950s.

Geranium was introduced to India by two Frenchmen in the early 1900s, and quickly became acclimatized in southern India. Presently two types of geraniums are identified in India - the so-called Algerian/Tunisian and Bourbon/Reunion. Recently, another cultivar, Kelkar, has been introduced. Geranium is being cultivated as a rainfed perennial crop in hilly areas of South India and an annual crop in the plains of Northern India.

Appraising Kashmir geranium.
Dr. Shawl’s team chose cuttings of Bourbon type geranium for cultivation in Kashmir. Their experiments revealed that the morphological characteristics, growth behaviour, herbage and oil yield were more or less like those of plants from the hilly areas of South India. The aerial parts (flowers, stalks and leaves) on steam distillation yielded 0.15% on a fresh weight basis.

GC/MS analysis identified fifty-three chemical constituents, representing about 96% of the oil. Major constituents were citronellol (25.55%), geraniol (20.81%), citronellyl formate (8.04%), and isomenthone (7.59%). Linalool content was 11.94%, which is somewhat higher than that of South Indian oil (6.7%).

Linalool is a good indicator of the extraction process as it seems to be formed from geraniol during steam distillation. Herb extracted with solvent contains only small quantities of linalool (<0.5%), but herb distilled for more than two hours in traditional field equipment contains 5-10% linalool. In the industrial process, because of limited contact between the herb and hot water, the linalool percentage is between 4-5%.
Among the components of geranium oil, geraniol, citronellol, isomenthone, geranyl formate, citonellyl formate, guaia-6,9-diene and 10-epi-y-eudesmol play a particular role in assessing quality, as they are an aid to distinguishing between oils of different origins and different varieties of rose geranium. The Bourbon type oil from Reunion contains large quantities (between 5% and 7%) of guaia-6,9-diene but does not contain 10-epi-y-eudesmol. Chinese geranium does not contain 10-epi-y-eudesmol as well. On the contrary, the African types contain 10-epi-y-eudesmol (about 4-5%) but do not contain guaia-6,9-diene. However, when the varieties and the growing conditions are not fixed for long, both guaia-6,9-diene and 10-epi-y-eudesmol can be found together, as in some Indian oils. Kashmir geranium, for example, contains both 10-epi-y-eudesmol (2.89%) and guaia-6,9-diene (0.13%). On the international market this can lead unjustifiably to suspicions of blending between oils of different origins.

Geraniol, linalool and citronellol together also typify the different qualities. Citronellol is usually higher in Chinese oil (38-40 per cent) and Egyptian oil (31-33 per cent) than in Bourbon oil (19-21 per cent). Conversely, geraniol and consequently linalool are higher in Bourbon oil (16-19 per cent/7-10 per cent) than in Egyptian oil (13-15/5-6 per cent) and Chinese oil (7-10/2-3 per cent). Isomenthone is slightly higher in Bourbon oil (8-9 percent) than in the other oils (about 6 per cent).

Therefore, I conclude that Dr. Shawl does indeed have a Bourbon type oil of fine quality and undoubted provenance. I look forward very much to its arrival on our shelves.
  
Cramp relief?
Following my piece on the cork oak in Newsletter 176, I’ve been investigating the various uses for this lightweight, recyclable, biodegradable, insulating, and water-repellent material from a sustainable source.

Over the years, people have put the bark of the cork oak (Quercus suber L.), with its tightly packed, air-filled cells, to an extraordinary range of uses - from cork-heeled shoes (I recollect thinking that my mother looked ridiculous in her stacked, cork-heeled, beach shoes in the 1940s) and bottle stoppers to flooring and bathroom stools, from engine gaskets to insulation in oil refineries - but Kew’s Economic Botany Collection has the most unusual example of the use of cork.

My mother, who suffered quite badly from cramp in bed at night, particularly in the winter, always maintained that a couple of corks at the bottom of the bed brought relief, but she never thought to have a cork mattress. Yet, at Kew, which is well worth a visit, there is a sample of mattress stuffing from Edwards’ Special Soft Cork Sanitary Mattresses. The inventor and manufacturer lived locally to Kew, and the sample came to the collection in 1911. Whilst Leoline Edwards made no claim for cramp relief, the accompanying sales literature suggests that the cork mattress was just the thing to combat bed bugs, which is still a problem for some today.

How few people know the internal condition of the Mattress they spend the greater part of their lives upon. After years of use you may find yourself suddenly stricken with Fever owing to a lodgment of certain germs in your system arising from the insanitary mattress you have been sleeping upon, which is a fruitful place for the growth of dangerous germs. This trite fact has perhaps never been brought home to you before. In the Edwards’ mattress filled with the special Cork manufactured for the purpose germs and insects cannot exist, you therefore have an absolutely pure Sanitary material, safeguarding you from all infectious diseases.

Washable, soft and springy to lie on, cool in summer, and warm in winter, the cork mattress sounds a splendid idea. As I also suffer the odd twinge of cramp during the cooler months, I shall have to drink my cork-stoppered wine more quickly if I am to get my prototype on the bed before Christmas! Is there no end to this recycling business?

Thinking about Olive.
Whilst waiting at the supermarket checkout, I have been quite surprised by the number of people scrutinizing recipe cards, particularly men. Thus encouraged, I picked up one myself the other day for Olive frittata. My word, I was soon buzzing around the shelves like a hornet as I sourced finest organic eggs, olive oil (but which?), Parmesan, spring onions, cured ham, pitted black and green olives, and sprigs of fresh herbs. Madness! I had only gone in for a can of Spam and some dog biscuits. Nevertheless, my quandary over the choice of olive oil set me thinking about olive in general.

The high position held by the Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) in ancient as in modern times may be realized when it is remembered that Moses exempted from military service men who would grow it, and that the oil is mentioned as a symbol of goodness and purity in classical writings, and the tree as representing peace and happiness. The oil, in addition to its wide use in diet, was burnt in the sacred lamps of the temples, while the victor in the Olympic games was crowned with its leaves. Solon, a lawmaker of ancient Athens who dished out the death penalty to anyone illegally felling an olive tree, which many botanists believe can live to 700 years old, said ‘The olive fruit is the greatest cure for any problem in life.’ Maybe, but could the miscreants have ever imagined that a 500-year-old tree could cost them more than £8,000 today?! At least in Italy.

Olive oil enjoys a privileged position amongst edible oils. There are many reasons for this. Historically, it is the oldest oil known to man. Its production zone is identical to the territory once covered by the Graeco-Roman civilization. It is this civilization which promoted olive groves and production and consumption of olive oil throughout the Mediterranean, which has remained the olive tree’s natural environment. In fact, according to statistics, slightly more than 700 million out of the world-wide total of 750 million olive trees are found in countries surrounding the Mediterranean sea. Also, olive oil is the juice of a fruit and as such it is consumed nearly entirely in its virgin state. Today, this fact makes it a distinctive product.

There are three types of olive oil: virgin, refined, and crude or refined produced by extracting the olive oil meal with the help of a solvent. However, for the purposes of the International Commercial Standard on Olive Oil, virgin olive oil is subdivided into extra, fine, semi-fine, and “lampante”, according to acidity and other analytical criteria.

The Standard dwells on purity criteria which include, on the one hand, the composition of fatty acids, saturated acids and their distribution in the position of olive oil triglycerides and sterols and, on the other hand, values such as saponification. Quality criteria include free fatty acids, peroxide value, E absorbance in UV at 270nm (less than 0.25 for virgin oil, extra and fine), and the E232/E270 ratio, whatever all that might mean! No wonder I was confused. What about the taste?

Unfortunately, being unable to open the bottle prior to purchase, I could not test the pizzica (pepperiness) of the oil, which is a fair indication of the quality of the oil. This peppery taste is the result of antioxidant polyphenols. The especially peppery oils tend to come from fruits that are just turning from green to black. This is meant to be the best time to pick for flavour, but there are thousands of cultivars of the olive tree, and variations in climate and techniques of production, which produce a wide range of different tasting oils. Some say that French oils are sweeter than others, and that Greek can be ‘grassy’. I think that I shall stick to the peppery Italian oil, now that I’ve tasted it!

Carshalton Lavender Open Days.
As usual, Carshalton Lavender (www.carshaltonlavender.org) will be holding their Open Days on the last weekend of July, 28th and 29th. This year, they will be celebrating on two fronts. The first is that they have saved the lavender field and adjoining allotments from the Planners! Their site was on a shortlist for building a new high school and they had a busy few months whipping up support for their cause, which has greatly increased awareness of their lavender-growing activities. Secondly, Carshalton Lavender has won recently the Observer Ethical Award in the new Conservation Project Class! Bravo! Visitors will be able to cut their own lavender, browse and buy at a variety of stalls, and enjoy a tasty barbecue after their efforts. All who have attended in previous years report a splendid day out!

Just in time for Christmas!
The indefatigable Gill Farrer-Halls has devised an exciting Candle Making Workshop on Saturday, 17th November and Saturday, 8th December, here at Essentially Oils. As usual, all equipment and base materials will be provided. You will work in small groups and pairs throughout the day. You will take home one container candle, such as a citronella pottery one for use outside, one moulded candle in either single colour or several layers of many colours, one moulded candle with chunks of coloured wax set in plain or coloured wax, and six floating candles as well! Contact Carla for further details on 01608 659544.

Threatened Industrial Action by Royal Mail!
As of Tuesday, 12th June, the situation remains uncertain, with no indication from the CWU (The Communication Workers Union) that they intend to use their strike mandate. The CWU has balloted 127,000 people and around 66,000 have supported strike action. That’s about half and excludes more than 20,000 people who are not union members. This means that the union may now decide to disrupt services by taking strike action. Royal Mail has assured us that they have developed contingency plans for such an eventuality.

Nevertheless, at the first hint of industrial action, we suggest that you communicate all orders by e-mail, fax, or telephone. Payment by Debit/Credit Card will be required. For our part, we shall switch all deliveries to Parcelforce. Orders OVER £35 (exclusive of VAT) will still be delivered without charge, but Orders UNDER £35 (exclusive of VAT) will incur a £3.50 delivery charge. Therefore, please remember that an order for just 10ml of lavender could be quite expensive! You will have to sign for all deliveries. As soon as industrial action is over we shall revert to normal.

Finally.....
Can this really be June? I’ve just been stuck in a flood!


charles@essentiallyoils.com

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