My knowledge of the effectiveness of herbs and essential oils does not come out of thin air; it comes from actually using them! And my knowledge of the antibiotic response in children, again, comes from my own observation and anecdotal evidence. Not good enough for ya, Doc? Too bad. I think anecdote and custom are perfectly acceptable ways of learning about a potential cure for a mild condition, or even a serious one. Are you going to now tell us all that allopathic medical practitioners never make mistakes in diagnosis and treatment? 'Cause I will laugh at you.

And until you have seen an upper respiratory infection utterly eliminated through the use of tea tree oil, don't tell me such cures are only "anecdotal" at best. This substance was given to soldiers in Australia in the last century as a poetnt antimicrobial. It has been used in the bush by aboriginal Australians for centuries before that. And we can use it for a myriad purposes today. I myself have seen it cure athlete's foot, strep throat, yeast infection, sinus infection, chancre sores, and other conditions. Imagine that.

By the way, it is "Bach" flower remedies, and no, they are NOT the same thing as essential oils.

One reason that herbal substances are not subjected to the same rigorous studies as newly invented phramaceuticals is that there is far less profit potential in them. Also it is difficult to test them rigorously because, being plants, the chemical constituents in herbs varies widely according to climate, location, season, etc. Such lack of testing did not stop our ancestors from using these cures successfully. Why do you think they are in vogue again? Because our ever-so-sophisticated medical system is inadequate. It is my understanding that most medical degree programs in the United States, do not even require physicians to study the basics of nutrition, for God's sake. In China or Japan or Germany, this would be seen as perplexing and ludicrous. I am sure there are a great many American doctors who think this is a problem, too; but not most of 'em

Gee, is it not enough that some of these substances have been used for thousands of years with great success? They haven't been tested, you say? They have been used for centuries!!! Just because it is not the best idea to isolate their constituents and put 'em in a pill that can be manufactured and sold for big bucks, doesn't mean they aren;t any good. Yes, of course they are capable of causing bad reactions if someone takes too much of them; any anyone who takes "handfuls" of herbs or whatever without thinking much of it probably deserves what they get. A qualified herbalist knows that these substances must often be introduced gradualy into the body. If someone tries to treat themselves by reading a a few pages from a book at the health food store, well, maybe they will get better and maybe they won't. But I WAS talking about treating UNDERLYING causes of disease with nutritional and herbal options; NOT treating cancerous tumors or hepatitis or diabetes or myocardial infarction or some other acute condition with them. Sheesh. Don't put meanings into my words that are not there.

Antibiotics are a wondrous invention. No question about that. But they are VERY MUCH OVERUSED in this country. Spaw, in your case, I am glad you got them!

And for the record, I do not work part time behind the aromatherapy counter...but an article I wrote on treating cold and flu symptoms with essential oils WAS referenced in an article in a professional nursing journal...

peg