The Toxicity of Herbs and Oils: Pets - A Departure from My Usual Posts for Those Who Have Pets

Neem oil: animals
I knew toxicity existed for neem (aka: margosa, Azadirachta indica, A. indica) oil and mice from the research I had previously done for the post below this one, 2008 http://medind.nic.in/ibv/t08/i1/ibvt08i1p56.pdf, http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.ca/2014/11/neem-oil-margosa-oil-safety-and-uses.html. However, it is not the only one, and mice are not the only animals affected.

Bold and color added to text by me.

2018 "Cats..Essential Oils"
https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/cats-and-essential-oils
"lack..information..many essential oils on..health..pets..reported cases..harm..death..Dogs..also susceptible..cats..much more so..Eucalyptus..Rose..Rosemary..Avoid..use..oils on..lists pending further research" https://twitter.com/ktanimara/status/1074440898212057088

2018
"Neem" 

https://www.drugs.com/npp/neem.html

"Azadirachta indica A...Neem..margosa..Arishtha..Praneem..inadequate clinical trials to support specific therapeutic doses..safety and efficacy in pregnancy..lactation is lacking. Avoid use..Severe poisoning in infants..reported." https://twitter.com/ktanimara/status/1067472752288780288

2014

"ESSENTIAL, 'HERBAL', OIL POISONING", color and bolding added by me Note: the link is not currently on that server.

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/consultant/Consult.asp?Fun=Cause_3091

"Essential Oils, volatile oils extracted from plants ... components of 'herbal' medicines such as flea or tick treatments or other products can be toxic in dogs and/or cats. Melaleuca (Tea Tree) Oil, Neem (Margosa) Oil, Pennyroyal Oil, Potpourri Oil, Pine Oil, Peppermint Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Clove Oil, Thyme Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Rosemary Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, and d-Limonene have been in products associated with signs of toxicity."

2012. from the link above "Retrospective study from 2006 to 2008."

"Adverse reactions from essential oil-containing natural flea products exempted from Environmental Protection Agency regulations in dogs and cats", color and bolding added by me

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1476-4431.2012.00780.x/abstract

"Dogs and cats can experience significant adverse effects when exposed to plant-derived flea preventatives even when used according to label directions." 

"Essential Oil and Liquid Potpourri Toxicity in Dogs and Cats", color and bolding added by me

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/essential-oil-and-liquid-potpourri-poisoning-in-dogs

"Essential oils are the concentrated liquids (volatile organic compounds) of plants. ... use in aromatherapy ... alternative medicine ... in cleaning products, food and drink flavorings, herbal remedies, ... personal care products ... Many liquid potpourri products and essential oils, including oil of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are poisonous ... Both ingestion and skin exposure can be toxic. ... Essential oils and liquid potpourris contain chemicals ... rapidly absorbed orally or through the skin. Many of these chemicals are metabolized through the liver. ... cats lack some of the enzymes necessary to effectively metabolize these chemicals. ... can also irritate or burn the skin and mouth. ... Only a couple of licks or a small amount on the skin could be harmful."

2014

"Understanding the toxicity of lilies" 
http://aercmn.com/blog/posts/understanding-the-toxicity-of-lilies/#.Vq-maumFQ9Q.twitter 
"many common lilies are extremely toxic to cats ... All parts of the plant are toxic ... leaves, stems, pollen" 

I have seen raw garlic recommended online for flea and tick control - Toxic!

2013

"Hidden Dangers in the Kitchen: Common Foods Toxic to Dogs and Cats"
http://www.vetfolio.com/toxicology/hidden-dangers-in-the-kitchen-common-foods-toxic-to-dogs-and-cats 
"Most cases of toxicosis are attributed to a single episode of accidental ingestion of raw onion or feeding of foods containing onions or garlic."

2001
"Herbal and Other Natural Products Pose Intoxication Risks to Pets"

https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=11131&id=3844040

Email Reply: Reports online neem oil, pets

I found this among others like it when I decided to research neem oil and pets. 
https://www.amazon.com/review/RFWWC4IGYD8IM/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt/175-8014626-5235322#RFWWC4IGYD8IM

Neem Oil (Margosa Oil) Safety and Uses

I will be adding to this post.

Neem, 2018 

drugs.com/npp/neem.html 

"inadequate clinical trials to support specific therapeutic doses … poisoning … infants … oral … oil … seizures, coma, hepatoencephalopathy, and death … Management of poisoning … largely symptomatic … no specific antidote available"

hepatic encephalopathy
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000302.htm
"Loss of brain function occurs when the liver is unable to remove toxins from the blood … Causes … include … Poisoning by different toxins or medicines"

2014

"Neem Oil Poisoning as a Cause of Toxic Encephalopathy in an Infant"

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12098-013-1327-x/fulltext.html
"Poisoning is usually accidental by nasal or oral administered to infants and children for cough and cold, pain abdomen, and deworming; or rarely suicidal ... Even small doses can cause toxicity include vomiting, drowsiness, generalized seizures, coma, and severe metabolic acidosis especially in infants and young children ... Prognosis is usually good, however, delayed milestones, long term neurodeficits, recurrent seizures, abnormal ... (EEG), and deaths have been observed ... Since neem oil is commonly used as traditional medicine in India, its poisoning is not uncommon. ... pediatricians should be aware of this condition and public should be educated regarding the safe use of neem oil."

The bolding and color of text in all quotes is by me. The information speaks for itself. These are not studies. They are case reports. The information in this post is not new in that references of other case reports go back years! The question is Why is neem oil still being promoted with no cautions as if there are none? The short answer is it is not as profitable to include them. For those who promote health fraud, the lack of cautions does not surprise me in the least. They buy fake followers, reviews, and comments to stoke their ego, and further their agenda (sales), with no regard for consumers. However, they cannot buy credibility, and it cannot be faked. Credibility comes with reputable evidence, which they cannot produce about what they promote because it does not exist. It is also being reported in scientific literature, that within alternative therapy communities there is a lack of or underreporting of adverse events, that are nonetheless observed! 

2014
"A rare case of toxic optic neuropathy secondary to consumption of neem oil", Full text
http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2014;volume=62;issue=3;spage=337;epage=339;aulast=Suresha

2013

"A Systematic Review of the Reporting of Adverse Events Associated With Medical Herb Use Among Children"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3833530/ 

"There is considerable need for improvement in reporting adverse events in children following herb use."

2013
"Neem oil poisoning: Case report of an adult with toxic encephalopathy", Full text
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841499/

2013
Neem oil
"Herbal remedy is natural and safe"--truth or myth?"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24974507
MYTH!

2013
"Hepatotoxic Botanicals - An Evidence-based Systematic Review", Under Margosa oil
http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/JPPS/article/viewFile/17973/15135
"The hepatotoxicity of herbs was extensively acknowledged. ... Further scientific studies with high and good quality are needed to identify toxic compounds and understand the exact mechanism of hepatotoxicity-induced by herbs."
Table 1 lists the botanicals discussed in detail, Pages 402-404. Just: control f, type 402, and hit enter to access it quickly (you have to scroll up a bit to start at the Table beginning). A control f keyword or number search is a great way to find, or check if something you are looking for is in a long document. If what you are looking for is in the document more than once, hitting enter repeatedly will take you to all locations.

2012
"MARGOSA (NEEM) OIL POISONING"

http://www.pediatriconcall.com/Journal/Article/FullText.aspx?artid=485&type=J&tid=&imgid=&reportid=69&tbltype=

"The easy availability of margosa oil and its promotion without proper warning of these life threatening side effects warrant legislative measures and active awareness. This is a potentially toxic chemical and should be used with vigilance." Amen to that!

2008
"Neem Oil Poisoning" - reference #6 in above link and heartbreaking!, Full text
http://medind.nic.in/ibv/t08/i1/ibvt08i1p56.pdf
"Exact toxicity level doses for humans are not known."

2015 - regarding skin, scalp issues - neem - STILL unproven effectiveness, and safety - neem aka Azadirachta indica, A. indica

"Antifungal activity by ethanolic extracts of medicinal plants against Malassezia furfur: A potential application in the treatment of Dandruff", color and bolding added by me

http://sphinxsai.com/2015/ph_vol8_no3/3/(440-443)V8N3.pdf

"Dandruff is one of the most afflicting problem confronted in healthcare and cosmetics. Malassezia sp. is an opportunistic pathogen on the normal skin flora which is a causative of dandruff under unfavourable conditions. Traditionally dandruff is treated using a large number of medicinal herbs but the complete cure is far from reach. The present investigation dealt with study of the potentiality of Evolvulus alsinoides, Lawsonia inermis, Hibiscus rosasinensis, Azadirachta indica and Murraya koenigii against Malassezia furfur. ... The work was also emphasized in determining the minimum fungicidal concentration of each plant extracts against Malassezia sp. to know the efficiency of the herbs in treating dandruff. The results obtained were promising that it would help in formulating a polyherbal mixture to treat dandruff and enrich hair growth." = UNPROVEN

Related

Neem, curry leaf extracts, against selected bacteria and fungus, also 2015, color and bolding added by me

http://www.irjponline.com/admin/php/uploads/2431_pdf.pdf

"further studies need to be done ... for the fungal pathogen ... all 3 extracts of A. indica were ineffective"

When it comes to product safety BOTH short-term AND long-term safety data needs to be compiled, and confirmed - NOT just what was observed in one short study! For example, probiotics "the data on safety, particularly long-term safety, are limited", 2016, http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.ca/2016/01/prebiotics-probiotics-and-health-scams.html

Natural Standard - neem oil uses - All grade C: "Unclear scientific evidence for this use" = UNPROVEN EFFECTIVENESS!
2011 
http://www.davidsnaturalmarket.com/ns/DisplayMonograph.asp?storeID=cf1d83c59a914deeb1f49f78c9be5747&DocID=bottomline-neem#EVIDENCETABLE

The Real Scoop on Ancient Cosmetics and Health

I will be adding to this post.

2014

"The History of Cancer", color and bolding added by me
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/history-of-cancer/what-is-cancer.html
"Our oldest description of cancer (although the word cancer was not used) was discovered in Egypt and dates back to about 3000 BC. It’s called the Edwin Smith Papyrus and is a copy of part of an ancient Egyptian textbook on trauma surgery. It describes 8 cases of tumors or ulcers of the breast that were removed by cauterization with a tool called the fire drill. The writing says about the disease, “There is no treatment.”

2016

"Earliest hominin cancer: 1.7-million-year-old osteosarcoma from Swartkrans Cave, South Africa", bolding added by me

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305692334_Earliest_hominin_cancer_17-million-year_old_osteosarcoma_from_Swartkrans_Cave_South_Africa

"Such tumours are not related to lifestyle ... often occur in younger individuals ... malignancy has a considerable antiquity in the fossil record, as evidenced by this specimen" 

2014 
"BBC News - Ancient skeleton is the earliest case of cancer yet detected" 
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26627941 

2011 
"Mummy Has Oldest Case of Prostate Cancer in Ancient Egypt", @NewsfromScience
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2011/10/mummy-has-oldest-case-prostate-cancer-ancient-egypt 

2007 
"Oldest known case of metastasizing prostate carcinoma diagnosed in the skeleton of a 2,700-year-old Scythian king from Arzhan (Siberia, Russia)." 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17918181 
"The diagnosis mainly rests on the results of the microscopic examination of the lesions and the positive evidence of PSA, which is an important marker for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. It is remarkable that, in this ancient case, the morphological pattern at the microlevel is the same as in recent cases." 

Cancer is NOT a modern disease! 

"Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt" 
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/islam23.html
(for grey hair) "blood of a black ox or calf was boiled in oil to transfer the blackness of the animal to the greying hair, or the black horn of a gazelle was made into an unguent with oil to prevent grey hairs from appearing."
Neither remedy worked. Hair was also dyed in ancient Egypt. Animal horn continues to be used today in equally ineffective "magic" remedies. Rhino horn, bear parts or elephant tusks, there is no reputable science (evidence) for such "health" remedies, only the death of the animals, those who protect them (park rangers), and the greed for money. 

2014
"Rising murder toll of park rangers calls for tougher laws" 
http://www.iucn.org/?17196/Rising-murder-toll-of-park-rangers-calls-for-tougher-laws
More details 
https://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/usa/donation_page/
"You can donate directly to IUCN or to our partner organization, IUCN-US. IUCN-US is a charitable U.S. 501 c (3) organization and donations to IUCN-US are tax-deductible in the United States. You can also donate through the CFC, through the 1% for the Planet program, or in other ways" 

2011 
"A Review of the Use of Mercury in Historic and Current Ritualistic and Spiritual Practices", full text, bolding added by me 
http://nj.gov/health/ommh/documents/diverse_culture/reviewof_use2011.pdf
"evidence that mercury has been used in ethno-medical and magico-religious rituals and spiritualistic practices in China and India since before the historical record ... mercury has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 1,500 BC" 

2010
"Ancient Egypt’s Toxic Makeup Fought Infection, Researchers Say" 
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/science/19egypt.html?_r=1&
"the scientists say the makeup is not something that should be used today" 

2014 
"Products Kohl, Kajal, Al-Kahal, or Surma: By Any Name, Beware of Lead Poisoning", @US_FDA 
http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productsingredients/products/ucm137250.htm 

"NOTES TO CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA, George Bernard Shaw, 2012 EBook 
See "CLEOPATRA'S CURE FOR BALDNESS" 
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3329/3329-h/3329-h.htm
"I give a couple of the remedies she actually believed in. They are quoted by Galen from Cleopatra's book on Cosmetic."
"For bald patches, powder red sulphuret of arsenic and take it up with oak gum, as much as it will bear. Put on a rag and apply, having soaped the place well first. I have mixed the above with a foam of nitre, and it worked well." Several other receipts follow, ending with: "The following is the best of all, acting for fallen hairs, when applied with oil or pomatum; acts also for falling off of eyelashes or for people getting bald all over ... Of domestic mice burnt, one part; of vine rag burnt, one part; of horse's teeth burnt, one part; of bear's grease one; of deer's marrow one; of reed bark one ... pounded when dry, and mixed with plenty of honey til it gets the consistency of honey; then the bear's grease and marrow to be mixed ... the medicine to be put in a brass flask, and the bald part rubbed til it sprouts." 
Cleopatra's actual "book on Cosmetic" has never been found. Today, quacks invoke her name to sell healing crystals (which have no proven effectiveness), and various other "ancient" remedies attributed to her. 

2010
Ancient Egyptians discarded the human brain in preparation for the afterlife.
http://historyofneuroscience.umwblogs.org/early-history-of-nueroscience/ancient-egypt/

Scammers rebuff critical thinking regarding their products and services. 

Ancient Egyptians used religious beliefs with medical practices for healing, the first often when there was no medical treatment for an illness but there is no evidence they were used as medicine! 

1976
"Ancient Egyptian gems only glass", by Eric Pace, "Cairo (NYT)" New York Times, color and bolding added by me 
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19760725&id=XfdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ne0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3764,3449782&hl=en
"Experts from New York and Cairo museums, examining ... jewelry of the ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamen ... found ... many stones that were earlier reported to be costly lapis lazuli and turquoise, are in fact pieces of colored glass. ... Metropolitan's director Thomas P. Hoving said ... what mattered in judging ancient Egyptian jewelry was not the sort of stones it was set with but "It's overall design-the language of the shapes."  2 more stones named in the link as examples of actually being made of glass - "carnelian and feldspar". 

More on all of that below 

2004 
"Egyptian Amulets", color and bolding added by me 
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/egam/hd_egam.htm
"In ancient Egypt, amulets might be carried, used in necklaces, bracelets, or rings ... placed among a mummy’s bandages to ensure the deceased a safe, healthy, and productive afterlife. ... Symbols and deities generally conferred the powers they represent. ... Magic contained in an amulet could be understood not only from its shape. Material, color, ... words said or ingredients rubbed over the amulet could all be the source for magic granting the possessor’s wish." 

Related 
2006
"In Search of Desert Glass", color and bolding added by me, @WorldArchaeo
http://www.world-archaeology.com/world/africa/egypt/in-search-of-desert-glass.htm
"unique ... yellow-green glass occurs in ‘the Great Sand Sea’... the Egyptian Sahara. ... first documented in 1932 by Peter Clayton, a topographer for the Geological Department of the Survey of Egypt. ... clear that locals have known about this type of glass for thousands of years. ... Italian archaeologist and geologist Vincenzo de Michele ... expert on the yellow-green silica glass. In 1996 ... noted that a scarab in the centre of a pectoral in the Tutankhamun exhibit in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo appeared to be made of this unusual glass. ... listed as being the mineral chalcedony, when de Michele was granted access to test it, he found it to be consistent with desert glass samples found in the Great Sand Sea. In another room of the Egyptian Museum ... he discovered ... a knife – roughly four inches long and estimated to be about 5,000 years old – was also found to be made of the same glass. ... various people travelling through the Great Sand Sea had reported finding pieces of the glass that had been worked. ... the question of the origin of the glass still remained unanswered. ... uranium testing has established that the glass was formed nearly 30 million years ago." 

2013 
"Libyan Desert Glass: Diamond-Bearing Pebble Provides Evidence of Comet Striking Earth", color and bolding added by me, @scinewscom
http://www.sci-news.com/space/science-libyan-desert-glass-diamond-bearing-pebble-evidence-comet-01446.html
"comet entered the atmosphere above Egypt about 28.5 million years ago. It exploded, heating up the sand beneath ... resulting in the formation of a huge amount of yellow silica glass ... Libyan Desert Glass. ... specimen of the Libyan Desert Glass, polished by ancient jewelers, is found in Tutankhamun’s brooch with its striking ... scarab. Prof Jan Kramers from the University of Johannesburg, a lead author of the paper published online in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, and his co-authors analyzed the diamond-bearing pebble ‘Hypatia,’ named in honor of the first well known female mathematician, astronomer and philosopher, Hypatia of Alexandria."
Modern science and open minds know no borders!  

The the color of Libyan Desert Glass varies.

http://www.saharagems.com/libyan-desert-glass.html

Crystal/gemstone/Libyan Desert Glass "healing" is "ripened" Z-ray fraud renamed! The exact same fraud and promos for new victims!
https://twitter.com/ktanimara/status/785837541131972608 

Ancient Egyptians used colored glass to simulate precious stones and crystals, as well as real crystals and gems as protection in amulets and jewelry. All were used because of religious beliefs, with no reputable evidence offered by quacks any were successfully used as medicine. Quacks defile ancient religious beliefs with their fraud, the same way other terrorists defile religions, and harm and kill. 

The fraud put forth by quacks that crystals were worn in ancient Greece for actual protection fails too with the truth being very different! 
"Glass rings and bracelets", color and some bolding added by me  
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/705252
"Period: Hellenistic and Imperial ... Date: 3rd century B.C. –4th century A.D. ... Culture: Greek and Roman ... In prehistoric times, naturally occurring glass, called obsidian ... used not only for weapons and tools but also for objects of personal adornment. After the invention of glassmaking, similar objects were fashioned in man-made glass, or a combination of glass and other precious materials. Hellenistic jewelry ... intricate gold patterns augmented by bits of semi-precious stone and colorful inlay elements. ... Romans greatly favored the use of stone and glass in their jewelry ... expanded the Hellenistic tradition ... Romans used glass extensively to imitate precious stones such as emerald, sardonyx, and amethyst, since glass was much easier to carve and the glassmaker had full control over colors and patterns." 

"Jade in Mesoamerica" 
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jade2/hd_jade2.htm

2014 
"Mineral spirits: Turquoise magic at MIAC",  color and bolding added by me, @PasaTweet
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/art/museum_shows/mineral-spirits-turquoise-magic-at-miac/article_38e26f1e-ae30-5929-b0a8-488d7fa59735.html
"small group of artifacts discovered at U-Bar Cave in southwestern New Mexico. ... 700-year-old wooden pendants ... painted ... to resemble turquoise. Although this kind of simulacrum, ersatz turquoise, is not very common in Southwestern archaeology, other examples are known, including a large number of wooden objects discovered at various Chaco Canyon sites over the past century. Exhibition curator Maxine McBrinn ... wooden pendants are not fakes in the modern Western sense of objects created with the intent to deceive; rather, they were painted blue to evoke turquoise. Anthropological and ethnological accounts of Pueblo Indians, including Elsie Clews Parsons’ Pueblo Indian Religion (1939), stress the role of painting in ritually activating objects such as kachina masks. ... for many Native peoples of this region, turquoise’s color connects it by complex chains of metaphors to water and rain, the sky, fertility, and health. ... much turquoise must be treated in one way or other to be usable by jewelers. McBrinn emphasized ... pure untreated turquoise of the highest quality is prohibitively costly for both artists and consumers. ... Stabilized turquoise is widely used in Southwestern Native jewelry, and no one considers the stones to be fakes." 

2005 
"Turquoise: Sky Blue Wonder of the World", By Ken Casey, color and bolding added by me 
http://www.delminsociety.net/motm/motm_sep2005.htm
"The color ‘turquoise’ flavors the lore of history ... “Wadj, the word for green, which also meant to flourish or be healthy, was used for the papyrus plant as well as for the green stone malachite. Green malachite was a symbol of joy. In a larger reference, the phrase "field of malachite" was used when speaking of the land of the blessed dead. ... Another green stone, which was a favorite among Egyptians, was turquoise. The word for this greenish stone was mefkat, which meant joy or delight. ... In ancient Egypt, if no turquoise could be found, glazed quartz was used as a substitute. It was the representation of the color, more than the actual material itself that mattered." 

Lots of great information in the 2 articles above, minus quack FRAUD! The quoted text confirms information above them. I chose to concentrate on 2 elements, health and with the first article, turquoise treatment. There is much more in both articles to enjoy. Throughout the world turquoise has associations with health, also with no reputable evidence any were successfully used as medicine. Quacks lie, misinform to make sales, disrespecting cultural beliefs, and putting lives at risk for money, and their egos, not caring!  

2006
"Debunking Crystal Healing", color and bolding added by me 
http://recursed.blogspot.ca/2006/05/debunking-crystal-healing.html 

"If you and your friends make claims about crystal healing, then the onus is on you, not me." (regarding proof) TRUE! All replies to comments are still valid - there is still no proof!

"James Randi debunks Crystal Power and Applied Kinesiology"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RApN8veicPI&feature=youtu.be @YouTube
Rat poison worked the SAME!

1964 

Ancient dandruff remedy includes hippopotamus fat and fish oil 
https://books.google.ca/books?id=Y84UAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=ancient+Egyptians+used+animal+fats+in+cosmetics+and+vegetable+oils&source=bl&ots=TgT0qDyggG&sig=bXZug2VBzJZMhxEtX0b5SHAz3LI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=H7RGVJHfAbOI8QHMvYDAAQ&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBw#v=snippet&q=dandruff&f=false  
See also for spots on the face and wrinkles "gall of ox" and "red ochre". Red ochre was also used to color lips and cheeks - you can text search on the left, then click on found text to expand. 

Related: Neither diet nor the medicines available were sufficient to prevent, treat/cure diseases present!
2002 
"Health conditions before Columbus: paleopathology of native North Americans", 2002, color and bolding added by me 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071659/
"Diseases ... treponemiasis and tuberculosis were already present in the New World, along with ... tularemia, giardia, rabies, amebic dysentery, hepatitis, herpes, pertussis, and poliomyelitis ... Archaeologic remains show that native groups were not living in a pristine, disease-free environment before contact with Europeans" 

After European contact? 
2015 
"How Europeans brought sickness to the New World", color and bolding added by me, @NewsfromScience
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/06/how-europeans-brought-sickness-new-world 
"doctor finally flew in 6 days later, he treated them for what turned out to be a relatively mild virus ... tribesmen recovered ... FUNAI officials say ... to avoid repeating the tragic history of epidemics, they need the resources for competent and skilled interventions." 

2013 
"The Cultural Implications of European Disease on New World Populations: With Primary Focus on the Abenaki, Powhatan, and Taino Groups.", color and bolding added by me 
http://www.monroecc.edu/fileadmin/SiteFiles/GeneralContent/events/scholarsday/documents/rivera-finaldraft.pdf
"Native Americans and their ancestors’ immune systems were never equipped to handle European infections, the diseases annihilated millions before they ever saw the “pale faced” explorers." 

Before and after European contact 
2006 
"The Persistence of American Indian Health Disparities", color and bolding added by me 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1698152/
"American Indians struggled with ill health even before Europeans arrived. Although pre-Columbian populations were spared the ravages of smallpox, measles, influenza, and many other infections, they did not inhabit a disease-free paradise. Careful analyses of skeletal remains have revealed many diseases, including tuberculosis and pneumonia."  

2015 
"Why the rest of the world doesn’t suffer from leprosy like India does", color and bolding added by me, @qzindia
http://qz.com/328951/why-indias-poor-continue-to-be-ravaged-by-the-worlds-oldest-disease/
"primary treatment for leprosy—a triple antibiotic course called Multidrug Therapy (MDT)—is provided free of cost by the government ... Leprosy ... chronic infectious disease ... afflicted mankind since civilisation itself. ... thought to have originated in East Africa or South Asia in the Late Pleistocene ... migrated to India around 2000 BC. ... once detected and treated by MDT, in 98% of cases, leprosy ceases to be contagious and can be cured in six to 12 months. ... detected too late ... leprosy can cause nerve damage and conditions such as erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), a painful immune-mediated reaction causing fever and angry inflammation of the skin, eyes and joints, which calls for powerful steroids or thalidomide, and continuous follow-up visits. ... study doesn’t quantify stigma as an indirect cost ... authors acknowledge that it has grave impacts, the most damaging of which is a delay in treatment. “There’s a huge stigma and superstitious beliefs floating around.” ... “India has been reporting about 130,000 new cases a year"  

The ONLY cure for leprosy is the MODERN drug treatment/therapy MDT, and it MUST be given in time to cure it without ongoing, costly complications. Superstition, myth, and quackery (FRAUD) are NOT medicines! Medicines (drugs) are government approved and regulated, as are vaccines, and medical devices.  

"Breakthroughs made in ovarian cancer research" 2014, @ScienceDaily  
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140808111946.htm

Breakthrough in acne research, full text, 2013 
http://www.jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)36405-8/fulltext 
"As P. acnes is the major skin ... bacterium found in both acne and healthy skin, this strain-level analysis is important to help understand the role of P. acnes in acne pathogenesis and in skin health." 

Facts are far more interesting than the scams - FRAUD used to romanticize and lie about ancient times, to sell UNPROVEN safe and effective treatments and preventatives.

Received via Email

Not everyone uses social media for sharing great articles but some do like sending and discussing them via email. I have been getting a few such articles lately. I will continue to Tweet them, and I will be adding specific ones relevant to this blog, to this post!

2014
"Mineral Makeup - Fact vs Fiction"
http://kjbennett.com/mineral-makeup-fact-fiction/

"As you can see, deceptive marketing and carefully worded claims can lead us to believe that mineral makeup is “better”. Truth be told, while mineral makeup may sometimes have less irritating ingredients, it’s NOT automatically the best choice. ... I’m simply pointing out that modern cosmetic technology provides MANY excellent makeup formulas that offer the same safety and performance attributes that are presented in minerals makeup marketing."

2013
"Essential oils: a perfect example of alternative medicine exaggeration"
http://skeptoid.com/blog/2013/02/02/essential-oils-a-perfect-example-of-alternative-medicine-exaggeration/
"Treating disease by ingesting animal feces or applying it to your skin is also an ancient Egyptian remedy, in fact more common than essential oils, but I don’t see that catching on in the same way. ...The real problem I have with essential oils is the exaggeration of their effects. ... The benefits of essential oils are exaggerated because exaggeration sells. ... Trying to sell a sick person something that in the end won’t help them is at least unethical, if not criminal. ... I am not saying that essential oils have no use. Instead I am saying that their effectiveness is exaggerated."
"Not Found" pdf and text
"the extraction of bladder stones, or lithotomy as it came to be called in more modern times, was performed with surprising frequency by people in the ancient civilizations of Egypt ... Stones were well known in ancient Egypt and, indeed, the earliest urolith ever recovered was retrieved from the nasal cavity of the mummified corpse of a young Egyptian boy. This great artifact was unfortunately later destroyed during the Nazi bombing campaign over Britain. References to stone disease have been found in several Egyptian writings, and treatments seem to have usually been medical in nature, consisting of specially-designed exercises and the administration of lotions, ointments, laxatives and special diets. Fly droppings, feces, gazelle dung, crocodile excrement ... were all used!"

More from the pdf, Pg 11, and on point
"Our knowledge of the pharmacopoeia of ancient Egypt is clearly inadequate to support many sweeping generalizations about the effectiveness of the drug therapy regimens. Making actual conclusions on the efficacy of the pharmacological treatments of the swnw is difficult for a number of reasons, including the incomplete pharmacopoeia translations, difficulty in defining the conditions that treatments were suggested for and lack of information about how often a therapy was used. Further compounding this is the lack of first hand accounts of the clinical experiences and success of the swnw." Yet that is exactly what is done today by scammers, promoted as remedies and preventatives for money, based on 0 evidence from then, or test results on ancient medicines done now! It is called fraud.