Tea Tree Oil and other wonders

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From a sales pitch:

Tea Tree Oil is steam distilled from an extremely hardy tree native to Australia - when cut down, the Tea Tree will quickly regrow from the stump. The Aborigines in northeastern New South Wales have used tee tree as a healing herb for many generations. They make a poultice of the leaves and treat skin infections, cuts and wounds.

After landing the H.M.S. Endeavor in Botany Bay in 1770, Captain James Cook and his party came upon a grove of trees thick with sticky, aromatic leaves that they found made a spicy tea. The 'Tea Tree', as it was called by Captain Cook, became a valued bush remedy used by early European settlers.

in 1923 an Australian government scientist, Dr. A. R. Penfold, conducted a study of tea tree essential oil, and discovered it to be 12 times more potent as an antiseptic bactericide than carbolic acid (the standard at the time). Tea Tree oil became recognized, according to the British Medical Journal in 1933, as 'a powerful disinfectant, non-poisonous and non-irritating'.

Tea Tree essential oil is now well known in natural medicine for its antimicrobial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal effects. Some of it's immune supportive properties may be a result of it's anti-depressant effects, as one's emotional well-being has a significant impact on the body's ability to resist infection. Tea Tree essential oil can also help sooth insect bites, but is even better used as an insect repellent; one aromatherapist claims Tea Tree Oil is the best she's ever used. A must for the traveler's medicine kit.

Tea Tree Oil is found in many oral hygiene products, and it's wide spectrum of action has made it traditionally useful in treating mouth sores and gums, for acne, and for herpes infections, as well as for general immune system stimulation and for support when fighting respiratory infections. Tea Tree Oil has the wonderful property of effectively fighting infections without harming tissues and may be effective for infections of the genital area, particularly candida-related problems, vaginitis and trichomonas.