Very many thanks to all those who sent their condolences about Mung’s death - it was greatly appreciated. As several suggested he might, young Mick has indeed stepped into the big dog’s paw prints. However, he is far more demanding of my attention. Whereas Mung would wake me with the gentlest touch of his wet nose, Mick barks raucously to stir me from my slumber. Meal times cannot be a minute late, and ball-throwing is very much on demand! All the same, he is an independent, little chap and quite happy with his own company, keeping solitary vigil for hours on end. Mung would do no such duty without me in attendance, preferring to retreat to our bedroom for a snooze until I returned. And yet, on our gate, there is a warning, “Watch out! Rhodesian Ridgeback about!” Little did hawkers, Hallowe’en revellers, and diddicoys really know. As it is, Mick has already nipped the plumber, gardener and postman, and earned the sobriquet “Hairy McScary”!

I was saddened to learn of the recent death of Dame Anita Roddick, Body Shop’s founder, from a brain haemorrhage. The Body Shop was a curiosity when it opened in Brighton in 1976, but thirty years later environmentalism has gone mainstream. Dame Anita was one of the first people to combine a profitable business with environmental responsibility.

When I visited her in the late 1970s, I did not believe that her concept would work and told her so, which was to be my undoing because it was many years before she spoke to me again. However, I should mention that at the time we met I was working as a financial analyst and, to quote Dame Anita’s description of Body Shop investors, [such people] are a “collection of amoral city financiers, asset-strippers and fund managers in the City of London, who eat communities for breakfast”.

A product of the 1960s, she was heavily influenced by the counter-culture, which had passed me by as I struggled to carve out a career in the City. She was part of a wave of entrepreneurs in the 1970s and 1980s who made business more appealing and accessible. She was ahead of her time, and a pioneer of socially responsible commerce. Less than a decade later, I followed her lead. I have much for which to thank her, but sadly it is now too late.

Kudos for Kukui.
According to a recent article in the tabloid press [The Sun, August 11, 2007], Kukui Nut Oil (Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd.) might cure wrinkles and awkward skin conditions. Kukui is said to beat fine lines and even eczema and psoriasis. Although this has been mooted by some for quite a while, this is the first time that British researchers have turned their attention to the potential benefits of this Hawaiian favourite.

Dr. Behrooz Nasseri-Aghbosh, and Professors Peter Houghton and Jane Lawrence, of King’s College, London, are looking at the composition of the oil and conducting experiments to see how it affects the skin scientifically. Dr. Nasseri-Aghbosh said: “We want to see if kukui oil can reverse damage to the skin. It seems to be having a beneficial effect for many people with dry skin, eczema and psoriasis.”

Encouraging news, or is it?
According to recent official figures, reported cases of  the dreaded superbug MRSA have fallen by 10 per cent in a year. Statistics published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal there were 6,378 cases reported in England between April 2006 and March 2007, against 7,096 for the previous year. In the first three months of this year reported cases dropped an encouraging 6.4 per cent, but the figures also show that reported cases of the hospital bug Clostridium difficile rose an alarming 22 per cent.

There were 15,592 cases in patients aged 65 and over in England in the first quarter of 2007, up from 12,797 cases during the last quarter of 2006. However, according to the HPA, this recent rise could be caused by the high number of vulnerable people admitted to hospital at this time of year because, compared with the first quarter of 2006, there was a rise in 2007 of only 2 per cent. Why any rise at all, I wonder?

Dr. Georgia Duckworth, head of the HPA’s healthcare associated infection and antimicrobial resistance department, said: “Certain hospitals have made great strides in bringing down their levels of MRSA, but information shows that MRSA occurs more frequently in the elderly, with more than 77 per cent of cases reported in those 60 years and over. This group may be particularly at risk from MRSA, since many of them experience prolonged hospital stays in specialist units.” Surely, knowing that, they could do even more about it: a mere 10 per cent reduction is nothing to crow about, or am I being unreasonable? What do you think?

Back the tap!
What is this preoccupation with bottled water? Wherever I turn there is someone clutching a plastic container of designer-label H2O. What’s so wrong with common or garden Adam’s ale from the tap? True, I was spoilt as a child, growing up in the Brecon Beacons and being educated in the lee of the Malvern Hills, where the local tap waters were considered virtually the elixir of life, but bottled water was rarely served anywhere. In fact, it was not so long ago that asking for bottled water in a US or British restaurant was considered rather pretentious.

Today bottled water is so prevalent - in restaurants, offices, coffee shops, supermarkets and homes - that a request for tap water is likely to attract the disdain of all around you. Still, I refuse to pay an exorbitant premium for something which is freely available from the tap, except in places where ingestion of the local water would be foolhardy, because I question the eco-cost of such a luxury.

According to Zenith International, consultants to the food and drink industry, over the past decade, global consumption of bottled water has soared to 180 billion litres a year, from 78 billion litres ten years ago. Consider the environmental costs of packaging this volume of water in disposable plastic containers.

Surely, the plastic used to package water is a waste of oil, while low recycling rates mean plastic bottles end up in landfill, leaching chemicals into the soil over the centuries they take to degrade. Furthermore, the transportation of bottled water around the country is another waste of oil, and the suggestion by the marketing boys and girls that bottled water might be better than tap water induces low-income consumers to spend money needlessly. Just look at the quantity of bottled water piled in supermarket trolleys, and the number who drop by the filling station for just a bottle of water, not even petrol, frankly staggers me.

The Container Recycling Institute, a non-profit organisation, estimates that less than 20 per cent of non-carbonated drink bottles were recycled in 2005, and that 2 million tons of PET bottles, made from petroleum, were not recycled. Who needs a gas guzzler?!

Can you help?
My granddaughter, aged 4½ years, has a skin problem, which started two years ago. She gets red, itchy spots - no pus, no scales. The doctor thought it was eczema, and treated her with hydrocortizone, then Aveeno preparations which, whilst they soothed, did not cure her. She is now being treated with Fucidin H, and Dermol cream as a soap substitute. I personally can see no improvement, and she is waiting to see a consultant for a diagnosis. She is now left with dark purple scars all over, which the GP says are unlikely to fade in childhood, or ever. Do you, or your readers, have any essential oil suggestions? writes Isabella Farquhar.

Without a specific diagnosis, it is difficult to recommend anything. However, be it eczema, this red, itchy skin condition, mainly affecting the face, armpits, knees, elbows, hands and genital area, is often caused by an allergy to certain foods or environmental factors. It often starts to develop at the time solid foods are introduced into the diet, at around four to five months of age. Most children with infantile eczema grow out of it by the age of 3, but for some it can continue into adulthood.

Eczema is closely associated with asthma and hayfever, and the child may have these as well. There is also a genetic factor - if either parent, or the grandparents, have these conditions, it may be manifested in the child as eczema. It would be interesting to know if there is any such history in Isabella’s granddaughter’s family.

If the eczema is allergy-based, the most likely culprits are wheat, dairy produce, eggs, pet hair, wool, water-softening agents and clothes-softening products. Eczema can also be set off by stress and anxiety. Therefore, it would assist if the parents could think back two years to anything new to which their daughter was exposed - food, drinks, clothing, pets, household cleaners, etc. Remove it from the child’s environment and see if things improve. It could be     something as unobvious as a pillow, duvet, dog or cat.

Scratching, which a child will inevitably do, only makes the itch worse and can cause some infection. A soothing bath can help to reduce the irritation. One tablespoon of plain vegetable oil added to the bath will float on the surface, and moisten the child’s skin when she gets out of the bath. However, don’t use any vegetable oil produced from a grain, e.g. wheatgerm. It would be wiser to try jojoba, grapeseed, or sunflower.

As far as essential oils are concerned, it must be remembered that fragrance itself can cause sensitivity and, therefore, it would be advisable to carry out a small skin test 24 hours before using them. That done, Valerie Ann Worwood [Aromatherapy for Your Child] suggests you first mix the following essential oils together: 10 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia); 10 drops German chamomile (Matricaria recutita); 6 drops palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii); and 2 drops bergamot FCF (Citrus bergamia). Then, mix the following vegetable oils together: 60ml almond (so long as your child has no nut allergy); 8ml jojoba; 15ml sunflower; 8ml camellia; and 6 drops evening primrose oil. Now combine the essential oil mix and the vegetable oil mix. Use a small amount of the combined blend on the affected areas of the skin, as needed. Any other suggestions?

Phantosmia.
Have you ever heard of anyone who suffers from phantosmia [phantom smells] being treated with aromatherapy, enquired retired aromatherapist Margaret Phillips. I have been suffering from this now for a few months. I found that one reason for this could be a zinc deficiency and, as I stopped eating (or reduced my intake of) food high in zinc - mainly eggs and liver - some time ago, I felt that this could be the reason for my problem. I have been taking 15mg of zinc per day for nearly 3 weeks now and I initially thought it was helping. The ‘nasty niffs’ that really didn’t exist seemed to get less and then they stopped. However, they have returned and for the last 3 days have been quite unpleasant. I try masking the smells with essential oils on a tissue. I’ve tried steam distillation (plain boiling water or boiling water with a couple of drops of eucalyptus and similar oils). These clear the nose for a while but do not take away the phantom smells. Do you have any suggestions? To be honest, phantosmia is new to me, but is it an olfactory version of phantogeusia?

Disturbances of the sense of taste may be broadly divided into either loss or distortion of taste. Loss of taste may be either complete (ageusia) or partial (hypogeusia). Distortion of taste (dysgeusia) may occur as aliageusia in which stimuli such as food or drink produce an inappropriate taste or as phantogeusia in which an unpleasant taste is not associated with an external stimuli and is sometimes referred to as gustatory hallucination.

Taste disturbances have many causes including infections, metabolic or nutritional changes, radiation, CNS disorders, neoplasms, drug therapy, or may occur as a consequence of normal aging [Schiffman, S.S. Taste and smell losses in normal aging and disease. JAMA 1997; 278: 1357-62].

Management primarily consists of treatment of any underlying disorder. Withdrawal of offending drug therapy is commonly associated with resolution, but occasionally effects persist and may require treatment. Zinc or vitamin therapy has been used but there is not sufficient evidence to indicate that they are effective for taste disturbances secondary to drug therapy or medical conditions that do not involve low zinc or vitamin concentrations [Heyneman, C.A. Zinc deficiency and taste disorders. Ann. Pharmacother. 1996; 30: 186-7]. Phantogeusia might be linked to excessive activity of dopaminergic receptors as it has been reported [Henkin, R.I. Salty and bitter taste. JAMA 1991; 265: 2253] to respond to short-term treatment with small doses of drugs such as haloperidol, thioridazine, or pimozide.

Delving deeper, I discover that olfaction can fail in any of three ways: decreased sensitivity (hyposmia, anosmia) and two types of distortion (dysosmia); distorted quality of an odorant stimulation (troposmia); and perceived odour when no odorant is present (phantosmia).

The typical history for a phantosmia is that it begins spontaneously in a woman between 15 and 30 years of age (which seems to rule out the theory of aging) with an episode of odour perception the individual thinks is real but others cannot detect. This initial episode can last less than 5 minutes to almost 20 minutes. It resolves spontaneously with no after effects. The next episode will occur the same way about 1 month later. Gradually over the next year the episodes become more frequent and last longer each time. The perception may be in one or both nostrils. Once the smell perception has started, it is usually not masked by foods and all foods have the flavour of the phantom smell. Typically the phantom smell resolves with sleep. There are two possible causes of phantosmia, either an abnormal signal or inhibition from the primary olfactory neurons or peripheral olfactory or trigeminal signals that trigger a central process. Phantosmia is almost always worse in the nostril with the least olfactory ability and those phantosmias that occur in only one nostril can be eliminated by blocking the air flow, but single nostril phantosmia can spread to the other nostril over time.

Treatment for any distortions of olfactory perception includes doing nothing, as many will naturally resolve, topical medications, systemic medications, anaesthesia to parts of the nose and, rarely, surgical excision of the olfactory neurons. In phantosmia, endoscopic transnasal operations can assist and sometimes allow a return of olfactory ability after the operation.  

However, to date, I can find no evidence that phantom smells can be masked by other smells. Do any know otherwise?

Allspice.
In John T. Walbaum’s book, “The Know-it-All’s Guide to Life”, he mentions that allspice is a powerful bacterial agent and breath cleanser.....saying that it’s an old folk remedy and that one should rub the essential oil along gums and tongue. What is your view on this practice? Also, should one use essential oil of the leaf or the berry? asks Gary Wright.

The pimenta tree (Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.), a native of the West Indies and adjacent parts of Central and South America, grows most abundantly on Jamaica. Indeed the bulk of the “allspice” (dried pimenta berries), and most of the pimenta leaf oil, on the market originates from Jamaica. The United States and the UK are the principal users of “allspice”. The berries are used as a condiment, and as a flavouring ingredient in soups, sauces, pickles, sausages, canned meat, curries, etc. However, in many culinary preparations, such as baked goods, the essential oil has replaced the ground spice.

The term “pimenta” has its origin in the belief of the early Spanish explorers that the berries of this tree were a sort of pepper; thence also the English expression “Jamaica pepper” and the German “Nelkenpfeffer”. The name “allspice”, frequently used in cookery books, came into use probably because the odour and flavour of pimenta berries are reminiscent of a mix of clove, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. For this reason the French call it “Quatre epices”.

Pimento is an aromatic stimulant and carminative to the gastrointestinal tract, resembling cloves in its action. It is employed chiefly as an addition to tonics and purgatives and as a flavouring agent.

The essential oil, and the distilled water of pimento, were considered useful for flatulent indigestion and for hysterical paroxysms. Two or three drops of the oil on sugar were given to correct flatulence, and the oil was also given on sugar and in pills to correct the griping tendencies of purgatives.

Pimento was one of the ingredients of Spice Plaster. An extract made from the crushed berries by boiling them down to a thick liquid was, when spread on linen, a stimulating plaster for neuralgic or rheumatic pains.

In aromatherapy, some consider allspice a ‘crisis’ oil, to be used in very small amounts (often just a single drop) when dramatic help is needed very quickly. For example, one drop, well diluted and massaged clockwise over the abdomen will rapidly relieve vomiting and intestinal spasm, especially when this is associated with an emotional crisis or acute anxiety.

In low concentration, never more than 1% in a massage blend, it produces a warm sensation that gradually permeates the body. The same warming effect is very comforting in arthritis and rheumatism and for tired, aching muscles. In muscle spasm, pimento will help to restore mobility quickly and could be useful for dancers and athletes. Nevertheless, it should be used only as a ‘crisis’ oil and not for prolonged periods [Aromatherapy an A-Z].

The essential oil is distilled from the leaves or the berries and smells somewhat like Clove oil (Zyzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry). Eugenol, which also predominates in clove oil, is the main constituent - up to 80% in the berry oil and as much as 96% in the leaf oil. Oil from the berries is preferable in aromatherapy, as it is less irritant than that from the leaves.

Because of its chemical similarity to clove oil, it does not surprise me that Mr. Walbaum says what he does about oil of allspice. It would be interesting to know his comments about clove, however.

Clove oil is a very powerful antibacterial - a 1% solution is four times more effective than phenol. It is also a good painkiller, and has long been used to ease toothache. It is still used as an antiseptic in modern dentistry as well as many commercial toothpastes, mouthwashes, etc.

Therefore, bearing this in mind, I would think that oil of allspice could be used as Walbaum suggests, but with caution.

Conscientious farming.
Buy your local rapeseed oil here! exhorted the blackboard outside the village shop. In I sped, smartly into a mountain of Cotswold farm cold pressed extra virgin R-Oil. Judging from the literature scattered about, it seems that most of the nation’s Michelin-starred chefs are using this vegetable oil for their cooking. I bought a litre.

Cold pressed on a farm just up the road, this stunningly golden oil retains all of its light nutty flavour and natural goodness. Low in saturated fats, with no artificial additives or flavouring, it is a versatile cooking oil. I had to find out more.

Located on a familiar local rally route, I bumped and bounced my way to the farm as the rain lashed down. Hardly the best day for a visit, but the welcome more than compensated for the inclement weather.

The general term of rapeseed and mustard covers a whole range of oleaginous plants of the botanical genus Brassica of the family of Crucifers. The main plants of this group are: rape (Brassica napus L.), mainly grown in Europe, Canada, China; a group of oleaginous types belonging to the species Brassica campestris L., containing the rapeseed produced mainly in Canada, and the Asiatic forms (toria, yellow-seeded sarson, brown-seeded sarson) grown in India, Pakistan and China; and Brown mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czerniak produced as an oleaginous crop mainly in Asia and whose seeds are also used to produce Dijon mustard.

Seeds of other species of Brassica are also used for making oil: Abyssinia mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun), or Texsel greens; Black mustard (Brassica nigra (L.) Koch), whose seed is mainly used for pharmaceutical purposes; and White mustard (Brassica hirta Moench).

Apart from the White mustard, which is genetically less related, all these species are closely linked among each other. They have a common ancestral origin.

In the majority of the producer countries, rapeseed and brown mustard are the subject of agricultural research, the objectives of which are improvement in productivity, resistance to parasites, and quality of products.

In the last few decades, emphasis has been placed particularly on the problems of oil and oil meal quality. The main objective, in the case of the oil, was elimination of erucic acid which was considered undesirable following experiments on several species of animal. Erucic acid has been found to have pathological effects on the cardiac muscle of animals fed with high levels of rapeseed oil.

The first varieties of B. napus and B. campestris yielding an oil practically without erucic acid were found in Canada, where a standard was prepared called “Canola”. It corresponds to a maximum content of 2% erucic acid in the oil. This name is now widely used by other countries, and in  commerce, to emphasize the important change it implies. Therefore, I was delighted to note from the analysis that R-Oil contains only 0.5% erucic acid.

R-Oil was set up in 2005, with the specific intention to produce a very high quality product for culinary purposes. In the past the farm had sold its oil seed rape for industrial extraction, where it was crushed and cooked up with various solvents to yield cheap cooking oil.

Throughout the setting-up period, much thought was given to the environmental impact of the operation: waste had to be kept to a minimum. For this reason, the farm now collects from the catering trade any waste oil and turns it into bio-diesel to run the farm vehicles. They also use the oil by-product, rape cake/meal, as animal feed so that absolutely none of the original crop is wasted. Smart!

Farming is changing and the role of farmers along with it. R-Oil has our support, and I hope sincerely that you will give it a try.

A horrifying fact!
The World Health Organisation states that there is a 74% probability of death....in humans with ragwort-induced jaundice.
As I have driven around the countryside this year, the yellow daisy-like flowers of ragwort (Senecio spp., but probably Senecio squalidus L., Oxford ragwort, which originally escaped from Oxford Botanic Garden), have been a regular sight.

Ragwort causes more damage to animals than all the other toxic plants put together. Each plant can produce up to 200,000 seeds per year, which can lie dormant for another 20 years until they get a chance to grow, resulting in a 70% germination rate. Its ability to grow in the poorest soils is one of its major advantages, meaning that wherever the wind takes the seeds the plant will usually be able to survive.

Horse owners have been aware of the threat for a number of years and often spend numerous hours in the summer pulling the weed from their fields. However, despite a Ragwort Control Act being introduced in 2003, public awareness of the dangers of ragwort has been limited.

Recent studies have shown that the toxins ragwort contains - pyrrolizidine alkaloids - are able to enter the bloodstream via produce such as milk and honey, via the skin, or by inhaling the pollen. This means that the annual chore of pulling up the weed is a far more threatening task than previously thought. In 2002, for example, a woman removing the weed from her fields developed jaundice after contact with the plant. WHO states that there is a probabilty of death within 18 to 24 months; the threat being worse for children.

Studies carried out with bees have shown high levels of alkaloids present in honey when they were kept within a refined area and forced to use pollen collected from ragwort. It is believed also that this is the case in milk. Particularly alarming is the news that these toxins seem to remain stable in blood and organs. Once within the body, the toxins pass from the gut to the liver, slowly damaging the cells until the result is cirrhosis of the liver. Further research has shown that the seedlings are even more toxic, suggesting it’s growing in strength.

One solution is to use the weed’s main predator against it: caterpillars of the cinnabar moth (Callimorpha jacobaeae). They feed only on ragwort, storing the plant’s toxins as they eat. These will stay within them until they become moths, and ultimately protect them from their own predators.

Professor Derek Knottenbelt of the University of Liverpool has carried out numerous studies on ragwort’s toxicity, even going so far as to poison himself with the plant because many claimed it was harmless. The noble researcher reports that his liver is now seriously damaged, with his work highlighting the need for greater control of this killer weed. Take heed!

Want to learn more?
I have just received from Declan Bowers-Clark the future programme of courses from Inspire Massage Workshops.

Traditional Thai Massage with Peter Wright , Oriental Body Balance with Dr. John Brazier, Myofascial Release and Beyond with Stuart Robinson, Releasing the Lower Back and Hips  and RhythmMobility with Darien Pritchard , Pulsing with Guy Gladstone, Hawaiian Massage with Rosalie Samet, and much, much more!

As well as the ever popular one day courses in Thai Foot Massage, Thai Herb Compress Massage, Indian Head Massage, Natural Face Lift Massage, Hands Free Massage and Pregnancy Massage, Inspire continue their quest to provide the best.   

I have known Declan, and his wife Marguerite, for many years and know that they will not disappoint. In fact, they are giving me a bit of a run for my money as I know that Inspire Midlands is underway, and Inspire Scotland and Inspire Ireland are on the way!

Meanwhile, for those in Kingston-on-Thames and environs, why not give Inspire a ring on their new phone number 0870 446 0614, or e-mail info@inspiremassageworkshops.co.uk or through the website.

However, before Declan “inspires” the Emerald Isle, why not attend Promoting Health and Wellbeing in the Community - Integrated Health in Northern Ireland on Wednesday, 10th October, 2007, in the lecture theatre in the post graduate centre at Belfast City Hospital?

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for Northern Ireland, in partnership with The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, will be hosting a one day conference to explore good practice in integrating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in health and social care in Northern Ireland.

The morning’s theme will be “support”, looking at examples of service delivery and research evidence to support good practice, with particular emphasis on cancer care.

The afternoon session will focus on “well being” and “quality of life”, looking at a range of community based initiatives, including an update on progress in the CAM Referrals Pilot Project for Northern Ireland - the first government led initiative of this kind in the United Kingdom.

Since moving to the new Macmillan Support and Information Centre in December 2006 the number of outpatient referrals to the complementary therapy service has doubled. At present, they have a team of 3 therapists who provide annually over 2,000 massage, aromatherapy and reflexology treatments to patients in hospital and in the outpatient clinic. Any monies raised by participation in this conference will go towards the development of the complementary therapy service for cancer patients. A most worthy cause.

Contact Lyn Lamont, Complementary Therapies Coordinator, Belfast City Hospital, Macmillan Support and Information Centre, 77-81 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7AB, on 028 90699201 or e-mail lyn.lamont@belfasttrust.hscni.net 

As Jan is also a Lamont, and my late father’s 75-years-old racing car is located just down the road, I might attend myself!

Finally.....
Thank you so much for your many questions, which I shall endeavour to answer over the coming months. Keep them coming!

LATE NEWS
Please take note!

As of today, 22nd September, postal workers are to step up srike action after talks over pay and jobs broke down earlier this month.

The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) yesterday announced “back-to-back” 48-hour strikes, the first starting on October 5th and the second on October 8th, with a Sunday in the middle. This means there will be no deliveries for five days.

A further rolling programme of strikes, affecting different areas, will start on October 15th and will continue until the dispute is resolved.  



charles@essentiallyoils.com

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