[Looking at history and why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.]

Recent articles have discussed the natural source of food and medicines. Last time we looked at the origin of everything. Now is time to blend these things together.

We will go down the road of the oldest recorded history, still in use for 3500 years. In our story on the origins, we provoked a different train of thought when we showed the ancient Jewish Tanakh, which contemporary English speakers call the Old Testament, was actually quite scientific.

That record mentions 33 species of aromatic plants and over 180 references to plants and their oils. Obviously, that is not everything in nature, but all these were a specific use and application. The very same reference that is validated by NASA research for origins has an interesting note on food source.

Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

”–Genesis 1:29 NET

The early people were using herbs and spices, like your and my grandmothers.

Then they sat down to eat a meal. They looked up, and there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt

.–Genesis 37:25

The account relates that the Arabic people from northern Jordan were trading in spices, balsam, and resin about 1700 BCE. Our finely ground spices had not come into common use in ancient times. Other references affirm these were aromatic plants which get their aroma and value from the oils. Yes, they really were dealing in essential oils.

Contemporary understanding of science is stimulating additional thinking on what common religious practice refers to as spiritual or ceremonial. Traditional religious teaching refers to herbs, spices, and oils usage as strictly ceremonial. The teaching even refers to food laws as ceremonial. The ancient writings reveal so much more than ceremonial. We will see the food laws and practices had a rational basis to promote health and mitigate spread of disease. The Levitical priests were well-educated, practicing scientists of their day. The Midrash Tanchuma asserts even in Egypt, the Levites were not enslaved but were educated. They knew the laws of nature and chemistry.

Because of the ancient language, the exact contemporary name for some of the plants may be in question. Regardless, the evidence is overwhelming that oils, herbs, and plant parts existed for cleaning, food, medicine, and perfume.

Plants and their oils provided chemical benefits many thousands of years ago. Why are they not more common today? Oils, spices, and herbs were routine medicine until WWII, when drugs began replacing them. Work by Leopold Ruzieka and others showed chemistry could make synthetic constituents for the oil components.

A significant problem arises from created synthetics. The synthetics may have a similar mass or chemical structure, but do not have the same electric-magnetic and frequency profile. Consequently, the synthetics do not precisely match the receptors in the biological system. Lacking the appropriate electric-magnetic frequency profile, the synthetics cannot resonate. Chemical interaction with receptors may behave as stimulating, blocking, or blocking complimentary compounds.

The synthetics become drugs.  The advantage of synthetics is every production is pure and exactly the same in each process. The disadvantage is modification of the synergistic natural substance, which is necessary to obtain patents. The patent is necessary to sell drugs at substantial cost and to require a prescription.

Because of the inability to match biological receptors, side effects are often worse than benefits. Issues that are even more serious arise from mixing drugs due to contrary interaction between the chemicals. An important caution is synthetic drugs do not cure; they are used to treat symptoms. Have you observed that the commercials for drugs often mention the side-effects as the very problem they are promoted to help?

Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn, MD, describes the allopathic religion in Confessions of a Medical Heretic.

“People regard medicine with more faith than a religion. Doctors are revered as priests. Hospitals are the temple. Medical miracles come from dispensing holy waters (drugs, serums, antibiotics). The industry performs rituals and sacrifices (radiation and surgery). The loyal tithe to medical insurance through coercion.”

What is the consequence of this newfound religious fervor? Adverse drug reactions cause admission of two million people per year. Over 100,000 per year die from ‘proper’ drug administration. The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) reports over 250,000 deaths / year from doctor treatment. These are pre-pandemic numbers because later the associated events caused such a spike in death and maltreatment, we did not use that data.

Compare those staggering statistics to reports from American Association of Poison Control Centers. Plant caused illness had 2 fatalities and 53 serious poisonings. The problem plants were not from medicinal or nutritional use but common houseplants and shrubs. Statistics show 30 fatalities per year from weight loss mixes, which are quasi medicinal. Available published documents show no serious or fatal poisonings as a result from essential oils. Nevertheless, be aware.

Think about your perception of Grandmothers’ and Native American practice of using oils, herbs, and spices for medicinal purposes. Was it effective? Absolutely. Why did society abandon a simple, scientifically valid, inexpensive treatment for disease and discomfort? Has life expectancy improved? No, it has shortened in recent years. Are allopathic medical protocols for your health or their wealth? It appears Grandma was right after all. To your good health.

Send us your histories, stories, and traditions including memories or twists. We would like to bring them along.