Yeah, Well...So Is Strychnine

Several years ago, I saw a case that still lingers in my mind. The patient began acting strangely and refusing his food. He appeared weak and lethargic, with a low body temperature and odd behaviors such as pressing his head against the wall. His owners adored him, but they could not stand to see him suffering this way, and nothing seemed to help. Finally, in despair, they decided to let him go.

I couldn’t let go, though. It bothered me that the only thing associated with my patient’s decline—maybe?—was a routine grooming appointment. As I combed through the details of our conversation later, I recalled that the man had mentioned a subtle minty odor coming from the pet’s skin after his shampoo and trim. After several hours of digging, I started to become convinced that a well-meaning pet groomer had applied tea tree oil to his skin for flea prevention, thus setting off this devastating cascade of events. It would have been quite an undertaking to prove my hypothesis, and I don’t know of any treatment that could have reversed the ill effects. I could, however, do my very best to ensure this never happened to another pet.

Essential oils are all-natural compounds that are purified from plant material and sold for various purposes such as repelling, or killing, insects and microbes. Many people perceive essential oils to be safe and wholesome because they are derived from nature. It is important to note that some other all-natural compounds include curare, strychnine, ricin, and arsenic. All of those substances will bring about death in various terrible ways. Essential oils may sound harmless, but they really do need to be handled with care.

Because of their molecular structure, these chemicals are capable of crossing membranes easily and entering our bodies through the gut wall (after ingesting), lung tissue (after inhaling), or skin (after application of drops or ointments). They can legally be prepared and distributed by virtually anyone, educated or not, and need not ever pass under the watchful eye of the FDA. That means the contents and strength will not be validated after manufacture, and any package instructions (if provided) will never be reviewed by any regulatory body. There are some relatively safe ways to utilize most essential oils, just as there is a safe way to use the notorious poison curare—for anesthesia. On the other hand, medicines derived from curare must be prepared under tight supervision by the FDA. Essential oils can legally be prepared by any yo-yo in a bib apron. Bib apron optional.

Most of the misleading information you find about essential oil use will be found, to no one’s surprise, online. Like every other topic, it could be really difficult to sort out the truth from the nonsense. I can help you out a little in our next piece with guidelines on how not to use these substances, but a great start would be to simply remind ourselves that many all-natural, organic, plant-derived substances can be extremely dangerous. Like nightshade, heroin, and hemlock.

Remember Socrates? Died while sipping a nice herbal tea.

Dr M.S. Regan