Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Robert E. Lee and Cassia Oil



During the American Civil War, medical treatment was often crude and haphazard. Medical science was still a hit and miss proposition, and most physicians were still reading Paracelsus, a medieval Swiss alchemist, for their medical knowledge. Casualties from infection and gangrene outnumbered outright deaths in most battles, as the military doctors on both sides struggled to treat injuries with their limited and sometimes harmful techniques.


General Robert E. Lee, the Confederate military leader, was especially concerned about the welfare of his troops. He wrote in his military daybook in 1863: “Today sees scores of our men losing limb after limb to the corruption that sets in after a battle. Our doctors seem helpless to stem this grim tide, leaving in its wake not an army of soldiers but an army of cripples!”


One of the few bright spots in this era of medical ignorance was the discovery by the Confederate Surgeon General David C. DeLeon of the benefits of cassia oil-soaked bandages in dramatically reducing the incidence of infection and gangrene when applied to battle wounds. He implored General Lee to find a way to circumvent the Union blockade so that a shipment of the volatile oil that lay sequestered in Baltimore Harbor could be released to the South for use in treating the wounds of its soldiers.


Lee, in turn, brought the matter up with the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. Davis immediately sent a dispatch through enemy lines direct to President Lincoln -- asking if the precious oil could be released to alleviate the suffering of soldiers in the South. After discussing things over with his cabinet, Lincoln gave his approval for the cassia oil to be released, observing to his Secretary of War Edwin Stanton: “Those rebel soldiers may not think like us, but surely they suffer just like us -- a little mercy may help the South realize we don’t rejoice in this ugly business of war.”  


And so the precious oil was made available to Robert E. Lee’s troops, alleviating the suffering of hundreds of men on the battlefield. The practice of using cassia-soaked bandages spread quickly from the South to the North, and after the War DeLeon continued his experiments with essential oils for the better treatment of many illnesses and injuries.


Today cassia oil, which is mentioned in the Bible, is still used for disinfecting purposes, as well as in aromatherapy for its vigorous uplifting aroma.


For further information, and for an absolutely free, no obligation, sample of three of the most commonly used oils, including lemon and lavender, contact Wellness Advocate Amy Snyder at http://bit.ly/2vHgrH6 Please put your name and address in her Comments box.  She has used these superb essential oils for years herself and will be delighted to share her experiences with you in a professional and friendly manner!

Your doTERRA Wellness Advocate, Amy Snyder

NOTICE TO READERS: The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any emotional or physical condition, illness, or injury. The author, publishers, and distributors of this blog shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any and all alleged damage, loss, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this work. This work contains suggested uses of oils based on acceptable dosage amounts recommended by the manufacturer. The author makes no claim to have verified or validated these suggestions. The readers must validate acceptable dosage amounts from the manufacturer before application. The information in this book is in no way intended as a substitute for medical advice. We recommend that all readers obtain medical advice from a licensed healthcare professional before using essential oils for any reason.

HEADLINES & VERSE. Tuesday. August 22. 2017. Mnuchin's Wife Boasts of Their Wealth on Instagram.

        TRUMP TWEETS WHILE AFGHANISTAN BLEEDS


When wars cannot be won and no one dares admit defeat,
The strategy adopted is to sit around and tweet.
The Pentagon thinks quicksand can be conquered easily
By sinking many soldiers and then claiming victory.
And don’t think that the Navy this great stalemate will soon flip --
Not when they have lost their way and cannot steer a ship.
Keeping plans a secret, Trump will mount his hobby horse

And ride down all the terrorists on some emerald golf course.


MNUCHIN'S WIFE BOASTS OF THEIR WEALTH ON INSTAGRAM

When flaunting your wealth please be sure
To mention the places you tour.
As well as the brands
Your money commands --
So Instagram spreads your manure.


ANGOLA IS RICH; PORTUGAL IS POOR. THAT SEEMS ABOUT RIGHT

Angola has got so much gelt
Each citizen wears a gold belt.
An outpost deprived,
It now is revived --
While Lisbon has got way too svelte.



BITCOIN INVESTORS LOSE MILLIONS TO CELL PHONE HACKERS


I lost the control of my phone
Cuz hackers won’t leave it alone.
My bitcoin account
Is now the amount
Of maybe a small zircon stone.




CHRIS CHRISTIE DOES NOT BELIEVE THE WORLD IS FLAT -- HE THINKS IT'S SQUARE


Chris Christie thinks that climate change
Is phoney and ill bred and strange.
Now his successor
Will need a confessor
To put him back in voting range.


TRUMP LABELS MEDIA AS 'DISHONEST'

Reporters are liars, y’know.
And Trump’s gonna make them eat crow.
His fearless remarks
Are clearly benchmarks

Of thinking with just a torso.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Jerry Lewis and the 'Oil of Laughter'




Confucius wrote: “He who brings laughter brings health.”

The ancient Chinese believed that ginger rhizomes gave a boost to actors and entertainers, and so no performer ever went onstage without sipping a cup of ginger tea, or rubbing his temple with some ginger oil. This belief in the efficacy of the volatile oil was so strong that performers often changed their name to ‘Shengjiang’, which means ginger in Mandarin.

Most often thought of as an aid to digestion and cure for nausea, ginger oil also enjoys a reputation as the ‘oil of laughter’ in Southeast Asia. In Thailand the essential oil is used to calm young folk dancers before their first performance. In Myanmar the oil is lightly rubbed into the feet of acrobatic clowns before each performance. And in Japan ginger oil, mixed with carnauba wax, is applied to the lips by stand up comics as a way to insure ‘funny talk.’

When the late Jerry Lewis toured the Far East for the USO in 1959, he complained of constant fatigue and muscle aches. After ruling out the flu or any other physical illness, a doctor in Japan suggested he try getting a massage with the ‘oil of laughter’ to see if that would lift his spirits and fire his comic inspiration. Lewis complied, writes his biographer Shawn Levy, and immediately felt refreshed and ready to continue entertaining the troops with his inimitable slapstick humor.

Lewis became something of a aficionado of ginger oils as the years rolled by. He used it to give a special kick to the kugel dishes he ordered at Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles, and continued to incorporate it in his daily massages while working at Paramount Pictures on films like ‘The Nutty Professor.’ He recommended the oil to up and coming comedians like Steve Martin and Gene Wilder. Lewis insisted on using only ginger oil from Madagascar or Taiwan, claiming it was the purest and most effective blend on the market.

Today, while the world mourns Jerry Lewis’ recent passing, we know that ginger aromatherapy and ingestion not only gives a boost to the immune system, but can help lift some of the worst aspects of depression and restore spiritual equilibrium. It is, indeed, a true ‘oil of laughter’ to those whose spirits have been lifted by its benefits!



For further information, and for an absolutely free, no obligation, sample of three of the most commonly used oils, including lemon and lavender, contact Wellness Advocate Amy Snyder at http://bit.ly/2vHgrH6 Please put your name and address in her Comments box.  She has used these superb essential oils for years herself and will be delighted to share her experiences with you in a professional and friendly manner!

Amy Snyder -- Your doTERRA Wellness Advocate



NOTICE TO READERS: The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any emotional or physical condition, illness, or injury. The author, publishers, and distributors of this blog shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any and all alleged damage, loss, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this work. This work contains suggested uses of oils based on acceptable dosage amounts recommended by the manufacturer. The author makes no claim to have verified or validated these suggestions. The readers must validate acceptable dosage amounts from the manufacturer before application. The information in this book is in no way intended as a substitute for medical advice. We recommend that all readers obtain medical advice from a licensed healthcare professional before using essential oils for any reason.

HEADLINES & VERSE. August 21. 2017. ISIS CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ECLIPSE.







TERRORISTS CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR TODAY'S ECLIPSE 


It ain’t an eclipse in the sky --
It’s terrorists, who on the sly
Have captured sunlight for their use
To give us Westerners abuse!

Or else those haters of our ham
A truck will use the sun to ram.
The moon is not involved at all --
A burqa has become its shawl!

Anyone who shouts ‘Eclipse!’
Might have guns upon their hips.
So when the sun begins to shroud,
It’s terrorists and not a cloud!


MILLIONAIRE CARL ICAHN TAKES HIS MARBLES AND GOES HOME


Carl Icahn’s ambitions were great;
He wanted to jockey the state.
He thought as a guide
He’d make laws abide

His will -- now he’s outside the gate.


CHINA THROWS ITS WEIGHT AROUND TO GET CAMBRIDGE PRESS RESEARCH KILLED

In China the innocent scholar
Is deemed but an impudent brawler.
So journals agree
To censorship he
Is subject despite any squalor.



NO WELCOME FOR SPACE ALIENS -- UNLESS THEIR BRAND IS TRENDING

Little green men are a myth --
But not Klingons or evil Sith.
Without a good brand
There is no demand
For alien kin and their kith.



JOURNALISTS NO LONGER GO OUT LOOKING FOR NEWS: THEY JUST QUOTE A BUNCH OF TWEETS


Reporters don’t go on the beat;
They simply show somebody’s tweet.
The press conference is obsolete;
Why bother when you’ve got a tweet?
And vital quotes are now backseat.
Just take a snapshot of some tweet.
Our journalists suck on one teat;
It isn’t news without a tweet.


THANK GOODNESS THIS ECLIPSE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRUMP -- OR DOES IT?

When gazing at eclipses, try
Not both your eyeballs to fry.
But then, what the hell --
With Trump and his spell,

In braille maybe he is more wry.


Sunday, August 20, 2017

R.I.P. Jerry Lewis

JERRY LEWIS PASSED AWAY TODAY AT THE AGE OF 91

The King of Mugging has succumbed
To one last pratfall dire.
Sing his praise with loud kazoo,
and not a classy lyre.
The heart of a buffoon is brave,
To seek elusive laughter.
And now we have one less tomfool --
He’s tummling in the hereafter.
Clouds of popcorn waft thee up
To cinema’s Valhalla --
And tell old Dean we miss him, too;

The world is now much smalla.

Careful When You're Eclipse Viewing







Careful when you’re eclipse viewing.
Otherwise, there’s trouble brewing!
If a headache you receive,
Oil of fennel will relieve.





Amy Snyder, your Wellness Advocate, hopes you enjoy this little jingle, patterned after the old Burma Shave signs. 




HEADLINES & VERSE. Sunday. August 20. 2017.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM YOUR MOTHER: SUMMER IS OVER, GO BACK TO SCHOOL

The freckled laughter disappears
Into mum backpack shrugs.
And put away are whiffle balls
And lemonade and bugs.
As summer slowly exits now,
The grind of school begins.
We all must take a dose of it --

Those pensive medicines . . .


FLOWERS BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE AS MORE PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE

A flower is God’s way to add
A smile to this world that’s so mad.
If more flowers bloomed
We would not feel doomed --
Just think of a daisy in plaid!  



THE SOLAR ECLIPSE IS TOMORROW -- ARE YOU PREPARED?

People are making long trips
To watch the great solar eclipse.
With gridlock assured
Will road rage be spurred --
Or will ev’ry shoulder lack chips?

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Both Great and Small




Both great and small have meaning in the presence of the Lord;
The noble peak of mountain and the dusty garden gourd.
He speaks exalted phrases for the welfare of our souls;
He bids us to consider weeds and flowers, wind and shoals.
There is a capitation that He paid for you and me --

To school us in His kindness, love, and compassing mercy.