by Cheryl Hoard Essential oils are the fragrant soul of a plant. They are the characteristic scent or odor of a plant. Many chemical constituents make up this volatile oil. Peppermint essential oil (Mentha x piperita), for example is made up of menthol, menthyl acetate, menthone, cineole, pulegone, limonene, phellandrene, pinene, beta-bisabolene […]
peppermint
Catnip as Mosquito Repellent
by Jeffrey S. Hoard Herbal folklore has long included the use of aromatic herbs and oils as insect repellents. Most of us are familiar with the use of citronella oil (Cymbopogon nardus) in candles and in products designed to be used on the skin. Other aromatic herbs used for centuries for their insect repellent […]
Herbs & Essential Oils for SARS
By Cheryl Hoard As one physician put it in a recent national television interview about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), now is the time to “live well”. This doctor describes living well as eating wholesome foods, exercise and stop smoking. A few weeks before this TV interview, another MD voiced the opinion that addition to […]
Cold and Flu Recipe: Elder Flower / Peppermint Leaf Recipe
Elder Flower whole Peppermint Leaf cut Make a tea using equal parts of these dried herbs. Dr. Edward E. Shook writes about this recipe in his book “Elementary Treatise in Herbology”. His recipe is to pour 1½ pints of boiling water over the herbs, using one ounce of each herb. “Cover and allow to […]