More Nutritional Information from Keats Publishing, Inc., 27 Pine St. (P.O. Box 876), New Canaan, CT 06840.

Many publishers have released books about nutritional medicine, clinical ecology and so on, but there is no publisher as active and for as long as Nathan Keats, who has been in the forefront over the past twenty years and who has released more books, pamphlets and other publications than any other publisher. The growing popularity of this newer improved version of medical practice is to a large degree due to Nathan Keats. At the Nutritional Medicine Today Conference sponsored by this journal in Vancouver, 1994, he was still planning new issues and proposing new ideas. Over the past month or so another several books arrived. I consider them very useful additions to the medical literature. I have no doubt that each one will attract a number of students who are especially interested in the topics described.

Dr. Earl Mindell's Garlic: The Miracle Nutrient by E. Mindell, Ph.D. Paperback, 134 pages, US $4.95, 1994.

Garlic, a remarkable food, loved and hated by millions of people, has been used as a treatment for thousands of years. It is a stimulant of the immune system and therefore is therapeutic for a large number of conditions or diseases characterized by deficiency in the immune system. It is different from modern drugs which are designed to treat one disease or one condition. But is must not be eaten raw. Earl Mindell explains why and describes its therapeutic value and how it is best used. There are all the other forms which can be used.

The Diet and Health Benefits of HCA (Hydroxycitric Acid) by D. Cloatre, Ph.D.

and M. Rosenbaum, M.D. Paperback, 48 pages, US $3.50, 1994.

Obesity is a burden, more for those who suffer from it than it is for the observer. On a recent flight from Victoria to Edmonton I was impressed by the number of fat people. I sat in an aisle seat in a DC 737 and could count all the fat people as they brushed by me, hitting my shoulder or elbow. The easy advice is to eat less and exercise more or work more. Alas, this advice is very difficult to follow for most obese people, for many reasons. Weight reduction programs have a pretty dismal record of achievement. Any product which is safe and effective in increasing weight loss will be welcome. Hydroxycitric acid, extracted from the rind of a fruit, is such a product according to the information recorded by the authors. It decreases conversion of carbohydrates to fat, promotes production of glycogen, reduces appetite and increases weight loss and it is safe.

New Faces by Linda Clark. Paperback, 124 pages, US $7.95, 1993.

Just as dentists can judge a person's health by the state of their mouth and teeth, anyone can judge another person's state of health by an examination of their skin. The most obvious place to look is at the face. If the skin, the largest organ in the body, does not look clear and healthy without pimples and other blemishes, it is not healthy, nor is the rest of the body. This book understands this simple rule — to keep one's face and clear and healthy it is necessary to have the whole body well. This is done by following good nutritional principles, and exercises.

Pycnogenol: The Super "Protector" Nutrient by R.A. Passwater, Ph.D. and C. Kandaswami, Ph.D. Paperback, 108 pages, US $4.95, 1994.

Plants contain many complicated organic molecules called bioflavonoids. They protect the plant against excessive oxidation and are antioxidants for the animals that eat them. Pycnogenol is one of the more active antioxidants which has been investigated fairly extensively. It is receiving a lot of attention from the health food industry and its followers. It increases the activity of vitamin C, perhaps by decreasing the oxidation of this vitamin by heavy metals. This book describes this natural product, and defines its function and uses. It is non-toxic. Readers of this journal understand the importance of these Orthomolecular molecules so freely available in our fruits and vegetables.

The Poisons Around Us by Henry A. Schroeder, M.D. Paperback, 144 pages, US $12.95, 1994.

This is a reprint of the classic first published in 1974, with an introduction by William J. Rea, M.D., one of the foremost clinical ecologists.

The Medical Discoveries of Edward Bach, Physician by Nora Weeks. Paperback, 141 pages, Fourth Printing, US $9.95, 1994.

Dr. Bach was a successful Harley Street physician who became passionately interested in homeopathy, in herbs, and later in the use of specific flowers as remedies. His life and discoveries are described.

Acupuncture - How It Works, How It Cures by Peter Firebrace and Sandra Hill. Paperback, 160 pages, US $19.95, 1994.

The Complete Book of Water Therapy by

Dian Dincin Buchman. Paperback, 261 pages, US $11.95, 1994.

Life may be described as water with special properties induced by all the molecules which it contains and with which it has combined in one way or another. It thus participates in every body process and in every treatment program. In this book, first published in 1979, Dr. Buchman describes the many ways water is used externally and internally to promote health.

18 Natural Ways to Beat Chronic Tiredness by Norman D. Ford. Paperback, 254 pages, US$9.95, 1993.

In this book Mr. Norman Ford describes chronic tiredness, fatigue, as a product of lifestyle, stress and wrong nutrition. It is not a treatise on the chronic fatigue syndrome which appears to be becoming much more prevalent. But the state of being tired all the time is even more prevalent. Chronic fatigue is one of the most common companions of any chronic disease, whether it is arthritis, the flu, viral infections, and so on. It is also very common with the many types of depression which will hit up to 20 percent of any population. Usually the fatigue associated with these conditions leaves when it is treated properly. Fatigue is also common with almost all the nutritional deficiencies and dependencies.

Being tired all the time may be the precursor to physical and emotional disease, and when the specific condition is not identified by the use of current medical practices, this indicates that the acute illnesses are probably not present or are just around the corner, but it also indicates that there is something wrong with the entire chemical machinery of the body. In a healthy state tiredness is explainable, it comes from overexertion, from lack of sleep and so on, but this is not chronic tiredness. It vanishes when the body and brain have been given a chance to restore their natural ability to develop energy.

Fatigue not accountable by these factors arises from a host of biochemical conditions recognized with less reluctance recently such as excessive stress, intake of toxins such as alcohol, drugs and air laced with smoke, chemicals, and dope, and by nutritional deficiencies. These are addressed in this book. The prescription for dealing with fatigue is the prescription for remaining healthy, a prescription for a good state of health.

The Healing Benefits of Garlic by J.

Heinerman, Ph.D. Paperback, 196 pages, US $10.95, 1994.

Garlic is one of the first vegetables used as food and for medicinal purposes. According to Heinerman, it was already well established for these purposes in 2300 B.C. in Sumeria. Today it has been replaced by xenobiotic medicines which probably are more rapid in their activity but are certainly more toxic and therefore much less useful for the chronic diseases which are rampant today, and which is why these compounds are patentable and have to be supervised by doctors. Their toxicity demands medical supervision, not their efficacy. But garlic is still very interesting and important to thousands of people. Its safety is not in question, it can not be patented so that it remains easily available, and it may be very effective for a large number of chronic diseases. In 1992 the author attended an "Arizona Own Garlic Special" convention attended by 5000 people. In Chapter 7 in four pages he lists some of the international garlic festivals. I have never heard of a tranquilizer or antidepressant festival, or even a penicillin or insulin festival.

Garlic was one of the mainstays of early medicine among the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and in the Mid East. I do not subscribe to the modern school which maintains that any findings more than ten years old are of no value, or if they are not in the various medical abstracts. I believe that our ancestors were every bit as good observers, if not better than we are, for they had fewer distractions and more leisure time in which to think. After all, they discovered almost all of the vegetables which comprise our modern diet out of the thousands of plant species on earth, most of them toxic. They used various garlic preparations for almost everything. I consider the epitome of luxury the physician who was the Guardian of the Royal Bowel Movement in Ancient Egypt. The Pharaoh controlled the state while his physician controlled his movements, using garlic as well as other medicinal foods. I was especially intrigued by the potential modern benefit of a mixture of raw opium mixed with garlic juice. This was used to control pain before surgery and applied to skin as poultices would ease pain. I have never heard of anyone becoming addicted to poppy juice applied to the skin.

I was also very interested in "Four Thieves Vinegar". This was an invention of four thieves who robbed the bodies of wealthy plague victims without becoming sick. These four soaked peeled and macerated garlic cloves in old wine (time not specified), then strained it into stone jugs. This they would apply to their necks, faces, hands and arms as well as gargle and swallow sufficient quantities. Then they were caught they were not executed. They were given clemency after they released their formula. Apparently the remaining citizens in Marseilles were thereafter able to resist the plague. These early experimental pharmacists were given their lives for their secret remedy. I guess patents were not then in common use. Garlic is regaining some of its ancient popularity. It contains over 100 sulfur-containing products. Sulfur is one of the essential elements which is not much thought about. But sulfur-containing amino acids

are very important, and in the absence of sulfur-containing foods it would be difficult for the body to generate enough. Garlic, onions, and several other foods are rich in sulfur. Remember the molasses and sulfur spring tonic that was so popular many years ago.

Dr. Heinerman describes the many uses for which garlic has been used, but he also refers to the modern research on garlic and its constituents. It can be taken in an amazing variety of ways including baths, six pages of description, compresses, extracts, decoctions, douches, lectuaries, enemas, essences, fomentations, gelatin capsules, juices, infusions, liniment, liquor, oils, poultices and plasters, powder, salves, smoking, suppository, tablets, teas, tinctures, and in vinegar, wine and beer.

Some may be put off by the large number of therapeutic indications which will remind them of the placebo effect, the response to faith and hope. I was going to compare it to snake oil but can not any more since Dr. R. Kunin showed that snake oil is full of therapeutic essential fatty acids. They will be only partially correct. For the best medicine of all is a judicious mixture of a compound which is safe, has some therapeutic effect, combined with faith and hope. These are the stock in trade of every good healer. Furthermore the placebo effect has been grossly overrated and used by itself is totally undependable. The main argument against compounds with these multiple efficacies is the belief that so many complicated illnesses could not be healed by so simple a preparation. This is untrue. If everyone were to be deprived of all their vitamin B₃ they would soon break down into a large number of diseases including, skin, gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, and any one of the mental diseases from simple anxiety to schizophrenia. Physicians unaware of the cause of these patients disease would never know why this was happening and would not believe that one vitamin, B₃, could cure them all. Only drugs are specific, i.e. have a narrow range of activity. Almost all natural products have wide ranges of activity.

The Natural Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, by Ray C. Wunderlich Jr., M.D. Paperback, 48 pages, US $2.95, 1993.

With the modern explosive increase in the use of computers and one of its side effects, repetitive injury, this is a very timely little monograph. Dr. Wunderlich outlines what this condition is and what are some of the causes. The symptoms are caused by compression of the median ulnar nerve which may come about from several physical and chemical factors including a need for extra vitamin B₆. He describes it as a vitamin B₆ deficiency. But treatment is surgical and non-surgical. Surgical treatment is preferred by most surgeons, but non-surgical intervention, especially using vitamin B₆ is gaining more favor. Treatment also includes promotion of physical fitness, proper nutrition, physical and electrical therapy. Clinical nutrition includes the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. I have found vitamin B₃, especially niacin, to be helpful as well. But the repetitive act which leads to the swelling needs to be examined and corrected.

Wunderlich suggests that natural therapies which I describe as Orthomolecular medicine, are to be preferred to xenobiotic medicine, using compounds which are foreign to the body.

He writes, "At computer keyboards, a folded towel or Styrofoam support under the wrists may prove helpful in positioning the hand in the neutral position. Close attention must be paid to correct seating. Chairs built for tall men must be used only by tall men. The feet must be firmly planted on the floor and the angles at the feet-ankles, lower leg-knees, and thigh-hips must all be 90 degree angles. The work station must be balanced to avoid looking only to the right or left. The arms must be freely movable. The worker's vision must be amply corrected with lenses that permit him to sit up straight rather than lean the head forward to be close to the object being looked at." Good advice. For the details needed to diagnose accurately and the treatments which can be used you must consult this booklet.