Re: Essential oils and 'aromatherapy' their modern role in healing.

Abstract

I wish to draw attention to the dangerous trend in the usage of ’Essential Oils internally, by oral, rectal and vaginal routes by some Aromatherapists. In an article in your Journal last year, I gave the true definition of Aromatherapy, which must involve the odour of the oils but need not include massage in the therapeutic use. I also pointed out that the use of essential oils internally, as medicines on the continent, is conducted by medically qualified doctors and that encapsulated Peppermint oil is used for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and a mixture of encapsulated components are used for treating gallstones and ureteric stones, but these have obviously been tested and licenced as medicines. It seems that many aromatherapists with no medical qualifications and devoid of scientific qualifications are now dispensing treatments using essential oils and discussing this on the Internet. As a consequence there is a growing danger that a serious poisoning if not a fatality, will arise due to this dangerous practice and its perpetuation. This danger is illustrated by several paragraphs which appear in the book by Julia Goodwin entitled &dquo;Natural Babycare&dquo; (published by Ebury Press, 1997) where, for example, it is suggested that infantile colic can be relieved by adding 5-10 drops of chamomile oil three times a day to a little warmed water or milk. Depending on the drop size, the dose could be about 6ml per day, and if the baby has a low body weight, it could amount to a toxic dose (based on the LD50). Furthermore, there are at least three types of chamomile oils on the market, which are from different plants, yielding oils of completely different chemical composition; there is also frequent adulteration of essential oils with various solvents which have included