122 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
and the use of a number of immune herbs in any formula very useful in
this twenty-fi rst-century postantibiotic era.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are nature’s antibiotics. About 1910 it was discovered through
a scientifi c experiment that the volatile oils from various plants were as
strong as, if not stronger than, phenol, a much-used chemical antiseptic.
These oils include garlic, angelica, citrus lime fruit, lemon, and fennel.
Lavender, oregano, and rosemary are not far behind. Eucalyptus and
thyme are not as strong but are, nevertheless, potent antiseptics. Some
Australian surgeons use diluted eucalyptus oil wherever a European
surgeon would use a manufactured antiseptic — for instance, to swab out
surgical cavities.
Recent research has shown that tea tree essential oil is supremely
effective against the scourge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including
Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are becoming more common in
hospitals, where already vulnerable patients can easily pick up such
opportunistic infections, and the usual treatments are ineffective. The
resulting symptoms can range from debilitating to life-threatening. In
tests, solutions between 0.2 and 2.0 percent of tea tree oil were added to
cultures of these bacteria. The results indicated that as little as 0.25 to 0.5
percent killed the bacteria effectively. Vials containing no more than a
teaspoon of tea tree oil, sold quite inexpensively in health-food stores,
look like a cheap and effective godsend.
Pine tea, made from pine needles that are rich in essential oils, is a
great antiviral aid. This is a traditional Native American remedy that has
recently been discovered to be a prime antioxidant as well.
The use of essential oils can be part of keeping well and dealing with
sickness. Oils can be added to the bath, used in the shower, put into
shampoo and other hair treatments, added to toothpaste and mouth
gargles, made into massage oils, added to foot and hand baths, and used as
fragrances.
Use an essential oil supplier who tests the oils or has them tested using
chromatography and other methods of analysis to ensure good-quality
oils, devoid of toxins. Making your own oils at home is perhaps the most
desirable of all. Collect the plants, fl owers, leaves, or needles, blend them
with olive oil, and leave in the sun, shaking daily, for two weeks. An easy
antimicrobial oil would be made with equal parts of pine needles,
ecualyptus leaves, and rosemary leaves.
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