ANCIENT OILS, HERBS ARE PROVIDING HOPE

Mummification techniques were not the only long-lost ancient secrets scientists unearthed during the 1920s.

At a French perfume laboratory in 1921, Dr. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse was seriously burned on the arm during an explosion. He quickly dropped his arm into what he thought was a vat of cold water a co-worker had sat down.

Instead of water, the tray contained lavender oil. Within a few minutes Gattefosse's skin had completely stopped burning and after frequent applications, was left without a scar.

During the intervening 70 years, acceptance of the ancient art of essential oils and herbs as medicine has gradually grown. Today hospitals in Europe frequently use oils in place of antibiotics and other drugs. In the U.S., acceptance has been slower, but accelerating.

Today results are beginning to be realized by locals using such ancient treatments as raindrop therapy, vitaflex and others.

"I was a somewhat of a skeptic," said Dr. Walter Hutton, a local osteopath since 1953, who took a look at alternative medicine after several allergic reactions to various drugs nearly cost him his life. "I attended a seminar in Dallas. I was listening for something off-the-wall to be said. It didn't happen."

Instead, Hutton is now treating patients with the ancient methods.

"Aroma therapy has been used thousands of years," said Jacqui Close, of Close Environmental in Jackson. "When they opened the tomb of Tutankahmen, they found 350 liters of essential oils. They were opened and were as clear and ready to use as the day the were prepared."

It was her own allergy miseries that got Close interested three years ago. During a severe attack, her husband, Ed Close, took her to a small natural foods shop in St. Louis.

"When I walked in, my sinuses cleared almost immediately," she said. "Unfortunately, the people working at that time couldn't even tell me what was it was."

Since then Close has become an independent distributor for Young Living Essential Oils, the leading U.S. producer of therapeutic grade oils.

"Essential oils are mentioned more than 100 times in the Bible," Close said. "Frankincense and myrrh were brought to the Christ child and Mary washed Jesus' feet with spikenard, a perfume, which is also a relaxant."

Essential oils are defined as "the subtle, aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from the flowers, seeds, leaves, stems, bark and roots of herbs, bushes, shrubs and trees, through distillation."

According to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts, priests and physicians were using essential oils thousands of years before Christ to heal the sick. They are the oldest form of medicine and cosmetic known to man and were considered more valuable than gold.

Essential oils are said to be immune-stimulating, anti-viral, anti-infectious, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, antiseptic, anti-tumoral, anti-fungal and anti-oxidant.

According to one Young Living distributor, there are 188 references to oils in the Bible. The wise men brought the Christ child gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Clinical research now shows that frankincense oil contains very high immune stimulating properties.) In Exodus God gives Moses the formula for "an holy anointing oil." (Exodus 30:22-25)

That same Biblical and ancient connection fascinated Young Living founder Dr. D. Gary Young since the early 1980s. After receiving a Masters of Nutrition degree and a Doctorate of Naturopathy from Bernadine University, he studied the subject at several European and Middle East universities. In 1990 he started the first cultivation of lavender for essential oils in the U.S. since 1942.

"They grow herbs from seed and do their own distilling, marketing and education," Close said. "A lot of professionals are involved with it."

These natural treatments, big on both coasts, are gradually filtering into the Midwest. One area chiropractor is currently offering aroma therapy and other such lost arts, in addition to Hutton.

"I got interested in this due to my own health problems," said Hutton, who closed his long-time office on the courthouse square due to his illness. "I had very severe reactions to certain medication and got interested in alternative therapies.

"It has much potential to cure certain diseases that are considered chronic -- that normally don't respond to therapy very well."

That includes cancer. Well-known regional writer and humorist Tom Runnels has used aroma therapy and other alternative therapies and has been able to stop radiation treatment. His last MRI showed that his tumors have not grown or spread and he has regained some movement on his left side, which had been paralyzed.

Advocates of essential oils cite numerous cases where cancer, diabetes, arthritis and lupus have been curtailed or even cured through the alternative treatments. Other problems such as sinus woes, depression and chronic pain have also been helped.

"People's response is so positive," said Margaret Robyn Fisher, a distributor under Close for two months and a raindrop therapy patient of Hutton. "There is a high vibration to the oils. I think people just intuitively respond to that."

"My primary interest in educating people and training people," said Close, who has gone through training seminars in Toronto and Dallas. "Dr. Hutton (now semi-retired in Oak Ridge) is using it with his practice. He can get them started. I would like to partner with more professionals who are interested."

One thing Close warns of is to be sure and use therapeutic grade -- the purest of five levels of essential oils -- oils to get optimum effect without side effects.

On April 1 a free seminar will be held in the Drury Lodge at 2 p.m., featuring Jennifer Cohen, who first gained fame by successfully treating several race horses for cancer with essential oils. Another seminar, "Celebration of Healing," will be held at 1016 N. Cape Rock Drive May 13, which will include demonstrations in several alternative medicine practices. Close can provide further information at 243-0254.

Information on essential oils is also available at www.organicessentialoils.com/scriptures.html which gives a list of 188 biblical references to essential oils, including frankincense, myrrh, coriander, cinnamon, calamus, cedarwood and numerous others.