Monday, September 24, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
”Mom, I’ve Never Had a Sore Throat Like This Before!”
That Thursday morning, I woke up my son at six o’clock in the morning as usual. Even in the dark of the room, with only little brightness from the night light in the hall, I noticed right away how pale he was. In the next moment he clutched his throat and could barely whisper: “Mom, I’ve never had a sore throat like this before!”
Read the rest of the story at:
http://www.dariasworld.info/never_had_a_sore_throat_like_this_before.htm
Read the rest of the story at:
http://www.dariasworld.info/never_had_a_sore_throat_like_this_before.htm
Saturday, August 4, 2007
One of the greatest legends about angelica dates back to 1665, the year of the great plague in London.
In early spring of 1665 the number of deaths, caused by plague, was on the rise in poorer sections of London. Death rate escalated when the spring turned into one of the hottest summers ever. As the panic set in, the rich, followed by the merchants, lawyers, clergy and surgeons left the city.
By June, the gates of the city were closed and the only way to get out was to present “the certificate of health” which became much more valuable than gold.
In July, when about 1,000 deaths per week were reported, the rumors spread that cats and dog spread the disease. According to author of the “Journal of the Plague Years”, Daniel Defoe, about 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed.
However, the real carriers were fleas, which lived on rats as parasites. With all the cats and dogs in the capital gone, rats had even fewer natural enemies and the plague was spreading more and more rapidly.Doctors, nurses and inspectors, who were in constant contact with the victims of plague, were forced to wear colored staffs outdoors so they were easy to spot and to avoid.
The houses of victims of plague were sealed for forty days after the person recovered or died. In the meantime, the guard was watching the house to make sure no one got out. The imprisoned inhabitants became so desperate that they bribed the guard in order to get some food passed to them. In the worst cases the inmates broke through the wall of their home to escape or they hung the guard by lowering the noose through an attic window and over the guard’s head.
Even the letters from London were said to be treated as poisonous. On that behalf they were heated, scraped, soaked, aired and finally pressed flat to dispose of "pestilential matter".
In August of 1665, the death rate reached its peak - over 6,000 deaths per week. According to estimates, over 100,000 people perished until February of 1666, when King Charles declared that return to the city of London is safe again.
The legend says that in the middle of this true horror story, an angel visited a monk in his dreams and gave him a message that angelica could cure the Black Death (which was another name for plague due to the tell-tale black lumps on the bodies of the victims).
Some sources deny this particular healing virtue of angelica but the written historical sources are proof that angelica water became one of the ingredients in “the King’s Majesty’s Excellent Recipe for the Plague”. That was an official remedy for plague, published by the College of Physicians in London.
Angelica water, nutmeg and treacle were beaten together and then heated over the fire. Twice a day this medicine was given to those who suffered from plague.
Obviously, angelica herb had an important role in curing one of the deadliest diseases of all times and therefore deserves an ‘angelic name,’ whether an angel was involved or not, in carrying the message about angelica’s healing powers.
In early spring of 1665 the number of deaths, caused by plague, was on the rise in poorer sections of London. Death rate escalated when the spring turned into one of the hottest summers ever. As the panic set in, the rich, followed by the merchants, lawyers, clergy and surgeons left the city.
By June, the gates of the city were closed and the only way to get out was to present “the certificate of health” which became much more valuable than gold.
In July, when about 1,000 deaths per week were reported, the rumors spread that cats and dog spread the disease. According to author of the “Journal of the Plague Years”, Daniel Defoe, about 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed.
However, the real carriers were fleas, which lived on rats as parasites. With all the cats and dogs in the capital gone, rats had even fewer natural enemies and the plague was spreading more and more rapidly.Doctors, nurses and inspectors, who were in constant contact with the victims of plague, were forced to wear colored staffs outdoors so they were easy to spot and to avoid.
The houses of victims of plague were sealed for forty days after the person recovered or died. In the meantime, the guard was watching the house to make sure no one got out. The imprisoned inhabitants became so desperate that they bribed the guard in order to get some food passed to them. In the worst cases the inmates broke through the wall of their home to escape or they hung the guard by lowering the noose through an attic window and over the guard’s head.
Even the letters from London were said to be treated as poisonous. On that behalf they were heated, scraped, soaked, aired and finally pressed flat to dispose of "pestilential matter".
In August of 1665, the death rate reached its peak - over 6,000 deaths per week. According to estimates, over 100,000 people perished until February of 1666, when King Charles declared that return to the city of London is safe again.
The legend says that in the middle of this true horror story, an angel visited a monk in his dreams and gave him a message that angelica could cure the Black Death (which was another name for plague due to the tell-tale black lumps on the bodies of the victims).
Some sources deny this particular healing virtue of angelica but the written historical sources are proof that angelica water became one of the ingredients in “the King’s Majesty’s Excellent Recipe for the Plague”. That was an official remedy for plague, published by the College of Physicians in London.
Angelica water, nutmeg and treacle were beaten together and then heated over the fire. Twice a day this medicine was given to those who suffered from plague.
Obviously, angelica herb had an important role in curing one of the deadliest diseases of all times and therefore deserves an ‘angelic name,’ whether an angel was involved or not, in carrying the message about angelica’s healing powers.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Disadvantages of Using Tap Water for a Drinking and Cooking Supply
Water is the most abundant and the most important medium on Earth as well as in the human body. Because water is universal solvent, all the other substances are found in it, dissolved to different degrees and that is why pure water can not be found in nature. Mineral content of natural waters (and waters in our bodies) varies.
Water is fundamental to all the living creatures and in human body it is the primary component of every bodily fluid and involved in almost every bodily function.
Water requirements depend on our diet, activity level and climate in which we reside.
Regardless of our personal water requirements and geographical location of our residence - how to keep water clean and safe (how to heal polluted bodies of water) for human consumption should become everybody’s concern because there is no optimum health without clean water.
Most of the tap water in U.S. comes from surface sources (rivers, streams and lakes) and the rest is from groundwater (subterranean reservoirs). Water from both sources (surface and subterranean) most likely contains many environmental pollutants: animal wastes, local fertilizers (i.e. nitrates), insecticides, industrial chemicals and wastes, air pollutants (i.e. lead and radon), toxic organic chemicals, petroleum spills.
All the city tap water is treated in local treatment plants which in many cases use an obsolete process of settling tanks, filtration through sand and gravel and adding chemicals to purify the water for human consumption.
After the treatment our “drinking” water might contain all or most of the following, most likely hazardous chemical additives: chlorine (to kill the germs), fluoride (to prevent tooth decay), calcium hydroxide or other alkaline substances (to change pH of the water and prevent pipes from corroding).
Unfortunately, all of these processes may still not clean up the water of all the environmental pollutants.
To make things worse, chlorine and other chemicals are likely to react with other organic chemicals in the water and form new substances that may act as carcinogens. Even some water pipes might contribute toxic chemicals or metals.
It doesn’t come as surprise that bottled water is one of the fastest growing businesses all around the world. Anyhow, the synthetic materials, used for manufacturing of plastic bottles are also a growing concern, so - home-filtered tap water (using solid carbon filtration) is at the moment our safest source of fresh drinking and cooking water.
Water is fundamental to all the living creatures and in human body it is the primary component of every bodily fluid and involved in almost every bodily function.
Water requirements depend on our diet, activity level and climate in which we reside.
Regardless of our personal water requirements and geographical location of our residence - how to keep water clean and safe (how to heal polluted bodies of water) for human consumption should become everybody’s concern because there is no optimum health without clean water.
Most of the tap water in U.S. comes from surface sources (rivers, streams and lakes) and the rest is from groundwater (subterranean reservoirs). Water from both sources (surface and subterranean) most likely contains many environmental pollutants: animal wastes, local fertilizers (i.e. nitrates), insecticides, industrial chemicals and wastes, air pollutants (i.e. lead and radon), toxic organic chemicals, petroleum spills.
All the city tap water is treated in local treatment plants which in many cases use an obsolete process of settling tanks, filtration through sand and gravel and adding chemicals to purify the water for human consumption.
After the treatment our “drinking” water might contain all or most of the following, most likely hazardous chemical additives: chlorine (to kill the germs), fluoride (to prevent tooth decay), calcium hydroxide or other alkaline substances (to change pH of the water and prevent pipes from corroding).
Unfortunately, all of these processes may still not clean up the water of all the environmental pollutants.
To make things worse, chlorine and other chemicals are likely to react with other organic chemicals in the water and form new substances that may act as carcinogens. Even some water pipes might contribute toxic chemicals or metals.
It doesn’t come as surprise that bottled water is one of the fastest growing businesses all around the world. Anyhow, the synthetic materials, used for manufacturing of plastic bottles are also a growing concern, so - home-filtered tap water (using solid carbon filtration) is at the moment our safest source of fresh drinking and cooking water.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Rose-Rush
Read the description of this Florida native plant, about its propagation and landscape uses at: http://dariasworld.info/photo_rose_rush.htmCopyright © 2006 - 2007 Daria Perse. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Yucca filamentosa - Adam's Needle
Read the description of this Florida native plant, about its propagation and landscape uses at: http://dariasworld.info/photo_yucca_filamentosa.htm
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