Editorial, Information, Articles and Dr Bach ~ Creature Comforters UK

The remedy making process Firstly, through meticulous searching throughout the British countryside (and further afield), we choose the most natural, organic and unspoilt location for making each remedy. Early in the morning, on a beautifully clear, sunny day, the flowers are carefully selected for their quality, vigour and splendour and are then infused in spring water using the traditional 'Solar' method (where applicable). During the next few hours the elements of nature combine to release the flowers' unique, positive energy (to learn more about this process please read the 'Water Memory' article - scroll-right). Once the water is fully charged it is preserved using a quality brandy. This pure, invigorated and potent flower remedy is now ready for bottling.

1. Identifying plant species.	2. Preparing for 'infusion' of flowers using the Solar method	3. Bottling-up in the workshop	4. The finished product when bottled

At 'Creature Comforters UK' we maintain very high standards and adhere resolutely to Dr Bach's specific instructions when making and bottling our remedies and essences. We are one of the few remaining flower essence companies who still use this traditional, natural and (in our opinion) superior method of manufacture.
Our remedies are made the way Dr Bach intended...
We, at Creature Comforters, passionately believe that Flower Remedies should be made in the traditional way. Therefore, during the entire manufacturing process: flower collection, 'infusion' and bottling, all our products hand-prepared with care, attention and sensitivity. We are also distinct in that we blend all our essences to a *traditional stock concentration,* direct from the 'Mother' tincture - precisely as stipulated by Dr Bach (the man who discovered the Flower Remedies in the 1930s). This method is reported to give each remedy an extra potency. We remain resolutely faithful to Dr Edward Bach's original instructions - using the natural, time-honoured and preferable 'Solar' method of infusion (where applicable). Creature Comforters is a relatively small Flower Essence company, unlike more familiar / ubiquitous Bach Remedy manufacturers (we *aren't* owned by a large international pharmaceutical company). We also make no products other than Flower Essences and, perhaps because of these two things, we are able to devote the time and effort needed to make each Remedy in the traditional way ~ by hand, using the 'Solar' method, and to the correct concentration. We take no short cuts in the making of our remedies! Learn more about this process in the following article > > > To learn more about Dr Bach and his Bach Flower Remedies please click here...
Please note: Flower Essences (or Remedies) are often confused with 'Essential Oils' (such as Lavender, Ylang Ylang etc). However, they have virtually nothing in common with each other. Firstly, unlike Aromatherapy Essential Oils, Flower Essences have virtually no taste, fragrance or colour (other than the diluted brandy that they are preserved in). Secondly Flower Essences are a complementary therapy that is taken internally, whereas Aromatherapy Essential Oils are for external use only.

The Power of Flowers Article by J Stevenson and A Digby For Blue Skies Newsletter, September 2008 Flower Remedies were first discovered in the 1930s by consultant surgeon and bacteriologist Dr Edward Bach. He studied medicine at the University College Hospital, London, and progressed to Harley Street where he presided over a successful practice for over 20 years. However, despite the success of his work with orthodox medicine, Bach felt dissatisfied with the way doctors were expected to concentrate solely on the diseases that people suffered whist ignoring the people who were suffering them. Inspired by his work with homeopathy he looked to find a simpler remedial method that would focus on the emotional catalysts and consequences of illness rather than the illness itself. He once said: “Take no notice of the disease; think only of the outlook on life of the one in distress.” So in 1930: he abandoned the scientific methods he had previously used; he gave up his lucrative Harley Street practice; he left London and moved to the countryside and he went on a ‘voyage of discovery’. Dr Bach dedicated the rest of his life to finding and developing a new system of medicine that he was sure could be found in nature. Dr Bach would travel the length and breadth of the meadows and lanes of the United Kingdom (specifically Oxfordshire, Wales and Norfolk) and, using his natural gifts as a healer and his intuition as a guide, he would select individual flowers that he believed could help various negative emotional states. Once he found himself experiencing the negative emotional state that he needed to cure, he would then try various plants until he found the one single plant that could help him overcome that emotion. One-by-one he found the remedies he wanted, each aimed at a particular mental state or emotion ~ he discovered thirty eight in all. Dr Bach found that, when he treated the personalities and feelings of his patients, their unhappiness and physical distress would be alleviated as the natural healing potential in their bodies was unblocked and allowed to work once more. In this way, through great personal suffering and sacrifice, he completed his life's work. Dr Bach's wish was that everyone, whether medically trained or not, would have the means to use his healing system of Flower Remedies. It was also said he was also keen to develop a straightforward pharmacopoeia and simple method of production so that they could actually be made by others too (by following his precise instructions). Therefore, it is well known, by Dr Bach literarys, that he would have commended - nay celebrated, the situation we have now, over seventy years after his death, where there are hundreds of small, independent Flower Essence Companies, all over the world, making and selling the remedies ~ just like Creature Comforters UK. This was precisely Dr Bach's wish. Dr Bach passed away on the evening of November 27th, 1936. He was only 50 years old, but has left behind him a lifetime's experience and dedication, and a highly respected system of medicine that is now used all over the world. He also gave us the, now famous, Rescue Remedy™ which is used by millions throughout the world including actors, musicians, politicians, 'celebrities', the military, doctors, vets, Olympic sports men and women and members of the Royal family! What are Flower Remedies? They are a complementary therapy in liquid~herbal form made from the ‘flowering’ organs of a select variety of wild plants ~ of their flowers, catkins and tree buds. Flower Remedies are a natural and gentle therapy that, as literature suggests, can be used alongside other treatments without affecting other medicines or therapies, they also have no known side effects. Each remedy bottle usually contains roughly 50% spring water, 50% Brandy (used as a ‘natural’ preservative) and the ‘energy signature’ of a particular plant. [Stock bottles are preserved in 100% brandy]. Taken internally, the remedies are used to help gently address transient emotional and behavioural problems ~ naturally. For example; a person may have suffered a bereavement or loss and therefore may be finding it difficult to ‘move on’ and look to the future with hope and enthusiasm. In this instance they may be prescribed a course of Honeysuckle and Walnut which, as Dr Bach found, can help to alleviate feelings of grief, regret or wistfulness, e.g. ‘longing for times past’. How do they work? Although Homeopathic Medicine is different to Flower Remedy Therapy, they both use the stored ‘vibration’ or, what’s commonly known as; ‘energy signature’ of a specified plant to unlock the healing potential of that living material. With Flower Remedies this is done by means of a phenomenon called ‘Water Memory’. The rationale for proponents of this phenomenon is that water is capable of retaining a memory of the vibration of particles or flowers that have been placed into it for a specified period of time and by a specified means (to learn more about this process read additional Water Memory articles). Therefore the ‘source material’ could, for example, be a Verbena officinalis flower that, using Dr Bach’s traditional method, is first submerged into fresh spring water and is then left in the sunlight for a few hours to ‘infuse’. Once the water has collected the memory of Verbena officinalis its’ unique ‘energy signature’ will be stored forever within that spring water. The next step is for the infused spring water to be preserved (usually using brandy) and thus it becomes a Flower Remedy that is used for the unique emotional or behavioural problems that Verbena officinalis is understood to address; in this case – fanaticism or intensity. The notion of water having the capacity to retain a ‘memory’ has proven to be a controversial one amongst many members of the scientific community (and often an inconceivable one to the layman!). However, recent studies by some eminent scientists have shown that, although still not fully understood, there is some validity to this ‘concept’. When studying the water that it has been placed into: each flower (for instance) imparts a unique ‘fingerprint of energy’ into the water – these subtle, yet distinct changes can be observed through a powerful microscope, and, when frozen, can be seen as thousands of beautiful and identical geometric crystals (similar to magnified snow flakes); all totally unique to that particular plant. And therefore, as one would expect, microscopic photographs have also shown that the molecular structure of water changes when infused with particular particles, however, much more significant is the fact that these changes can still be observed after the water has been diluted so extensively (by thousands of percent of the original concentration) that logic and science would predict that there would be no trace whatsoever of the added particle. In such studies the water behaves in a way that is not fully understood and is apparently in contradiction to the laws of known science. However, despite any conclusive scientific explanation, many, many people who have used the Remedies over the past 75 years have reported positive effects from taking them. Some may say that this could simply be the ‘placebo effect’ (in other words: a sense of benefit felt by the patient that arises solely from the knowledge that treatment has been given), however, many practitioners and pet owners have also reported some amazing results when the Remedies are given to animals, so there can be no question of the placebo effect being at work in those cases. Therefore, we don’t really know how they work but we know that they do! © Jane Stevenson and A. Digby
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Animals have feelings too!

Article by Jane Stevenson, founder of Creature Comforters UK (and Sun Essences for Animals)

Studies have shown that caring for a pet can reduce stress levels. The owners can be happier, healthier and even live longer than people without an animal companion. In my own experience, as an animal enthusiast, I have found that there are few better ways to start your day than with an invigorating walk with your dog who, wide awake, and staring at you with those pleading eyes, is raring to go!

Our pets are entirely reliant on us for their well being. We readily take care of their physical needs, but what if they are unhappy? It is easy to forget that we are also responsible for their emotional care.

Animals are thought to experience the same breadth of emotions as humans, including the negative ones. Unable to express how they feel or to understand what is happening to them, the animals reaction to difficulties may be communicated through antisocial behavior, such as fear, destructiveness or aggression. Unfortunately the true reason for this behavior often goes unrecognised. Until recently this area of animals welfare was generally overlooked, as conventional treatments often do not cater for emotional problems. However, I have been helping animals with flower essences for over 27 years, and have found them to be a very effective and safe answer to this area of caring for our pets. These essences are used to calm the emotions, lift spirits and bring out the animals full potential. Animals seem to respond remarkably quickly to their therapeutic effects. Perhaps this is because they are innately free of complicated human thought processes and so the placebo effect is not an issue. Experience has shown that in certain situations essences may need to be used in conjunction with sensible training or other treatments. However, we must understand that each animal has a unique personality; they are free spirits and a certain amount of instinctive behaviour is normal.

Flower essences have been quietly helping animals for years, and are only now becoming mainstream. They offer immeasurable benefits to our animal friends who, like us, are living with the challenging side-effects of life in the 21st Century.

An epiphany!

By Jane Stevenson of Creature Comforters

By the early 1980’s I had many years experience as a flower essence practitioner and was well-used to the remarkable healing properties of the remedies when used on people. However, at that point, I had little experience of using the remedies to help animals.

One day my 6 year old daughter Hannah came rushing into my kitchen shouting anxiously: “Mummy, there’s a hurt bird outside”. I rushed outside to find a blackbird who was motionless and barely breathing. I held the poor little bird in my hands and we both watched, helplessly, as it slipped-away. It had completely stopped breathing and looked as though it was dead. Hannah was really upset and I felt sad that I had no means to help the bird. Then I remembered the ‘Rescue Remedy™’. It was worth a try, so I put a couple of drops onto its beak. Hannah and I waited for a couple of seconds and then watched in astonishment as the bird twitched, opened its eyes and, after a few seconds, jostled to its feet and flew away!

Living deep in the Norfolk countryside we would often find injured wild animals (birds, rabbits, pheasants etc) in the fields and on the lanes. And my neighbours would bring me any injured animals they found to use my ‘magic remedy’. From that day on I would always use my version of the ‘Rescue Remedy™’; ‘Comforter Essence’ to try to help revive these animals, and, depending on the severity of the injury, it usually worked. Remarkable!

Looking back I now realise that that experience with the Blackbird was important: it made me appreciate how powerful the remedies are for helping animals, and this inspired me to specialise in flower essence therapy for animals, and some years later I formed my own company for this purpose: Creature Comforters (formerly 'Sun Essences for Animals').

Dowsing
The art of divining

Dowsing was traditionally used to locate underground water, minerals, gemstones and hidden objects by means of a divining rod (a Y shaped twig) or pendulum that either ‘moves’ or ‘swings’ at the appropriate point. To this day dowsing is widely used by water companies as an optional way of locating underground springs, and building firms use 'dowsing rods' to locate underground water pipes.

Despite thousands of years of (as yet, scientifically unexplained) efficacy using this technique, this dowsing method still has its skeptics. Such skeptics believe the dowsing apparatus has no special powers but simply amplifies small but otherwise imperceptible movements of the hands, which has long been established to be the ideomotor effect. However, supporters of this technique say the dowser has a subliminal sensitivity to the environment, perhaps via electroception, magnetoception, or telluric currents. Whatever the explanation, I have found dowsing to be an extremely accurate way of prescribing the correct combination of flower essences for my patients, be they humans or animals.

This method is especially useful for diagnosing the correct remedies for animals as they are, of course, unable to tell us how they feel. Using a sample of fur, mane or feathers from the animal in need, I first dowse over the sample to gather the animal’s ‘energy’ (from the time the sample was collected). By an unknown means this somehow ‘collects’ a memory of the emotional state of the animal. I then suspend my pendulum over my entire range of ‘Mother’ flower essence bottles (over 75 in total). I make sure that I don't subliminally influence the dowsing process in any way, instead I use natural electroception, magnetoception, or telluric currents for diagnosis. When my pendulum dangles over the correct remedy it vigorously swings in a clockwise direction which indicates this remedy is needed by the animal.

For instance, it may swing over the ‘Honeysuckle’ bottle, which is used for people who yearn nostalgically for the past and have little interest in the present. Alternatively ‘Honeysuckle’ is used for animals who are either pining the loss of an animal/human companion, or are unable to overcome a past emotional trauma.

I always keep a record of the remedies each of my patients have had and in hundreds of case studies, with animals and people (over the past 27 years), my human patients and pet owners have, on countless occasions, said that my ‘diagnosis’ is remarkably accurate. I can’t, however, take full credit for this as it is the extraordinary and ‘mystical’ technique of dowsing that is the real hero!

Jane Stevenson

© Copyright 2007

Water memory
articles

From:
1. The Institute of Science in Society
2. New Scientist journal
3. Wikepedia

Water Remembers? Homeopathy Explained?

New research suggests water remembers what has been dissolved in it, even after dilution beyond the point where no molecule of the original substances could remain. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho reports.

For more than a century, practitioners of homeopathy have used highly diluted solutions of medicinal substances to treat diseases. Some substances are diluted way beyond the point at which no trace of the original substances could remain. It is as though the water has retained memory of the departed molecules. This has aroused a great deal of scepticism within the conventional medical and scientific community. To this day, ‘homeopathic’ is used as a term of derision, to indicate something imagined that has no reality.

But a series of recent discoveries in the conventional scientific community is making people think again.

First, there were the South Korean chemists who discovered two years ago that molecules dissolved in water clump together as they get more diluted (see SiS 15), which was totally unexpected; and further more, the size of the clumps depends on the history of dilution, making a mockery of the ‘laws of chemistry’.

Now, physicist Louis Rey in Lausanne, Switzerland, has published a paper in the mainstream journal, Physica A, describing experiments that suggest water does have a memory of molecules that have been diluted away, as can be demonstrated by a relatively new physical technique that measures thermoluminescence.

In this technique, the material is ‘activated’ by irradiation at low temperature, with UV, X-rays, electron beams, or other high-energy sub-atomic particles. This causes electrons to come loose from the atoms and molecules, creating ‘electron-hole pairs’ that become separated and trapped at different energy levels.

Then, when the irradiated material is warmed up, it releases the absorbed energy and the trapped electrons and holes come together and recombine. This causes the release of a characteristic glow of light, peaking at different temperatures depending on the magnitude of the separation between electron and hole.

As a general rule, the phenomenon is observed in crystals with an ordered arrangement of atoms and molecules, but it is also seen in disordered materials such as glasses. In this mechanism, imperfections in the atomic/molecular lattice are considered to be the sites at which luminescence appears.

Rey decided to use the technique to investigate water, starting with heavy water or deuterium oxide that’s been frozen into ice at a temperature of 77K. The absolute temperature scale (degree K, after Lord Kelvin) is used in science. (The zero degree K is equivalent to –273 C, and deuterium is an isotope of hydrogen which is twice as heavy as hydrogen).

As the ice warms up, a first peak of luminescence appears near 120K, and a second peak near 166 K. Heavy water gives a much stronger signal than water. In both cases, samples that were not irradiated gave no signals at all.

For both water and heavy water, the relative intensity of the thermoluminescence depends on the irradiation dose. There has been a suggestion that peak 2 comes from the hydrogen-bonded network within ice, whereas peak 1 comes from the individual molecules. This was confirmed by looking at a totally different material that is known to present strong hydrogen bonds, which showed a similar glow in the peak 2 region, but nothing in peak 1.

Rey then investigated what would happen when he dissolved some chemicals in the water and diluted it in steps of one hundred fold with vigorous stirring (as in the preparation of homeopathic remedies), until he reached a concentration of 10 to the power -30 g per centilitre, and compare that to the control that has not had any chemical dissolved in it and diluted in the same way.

The samples were frozen and activated with irradiation as usual.

Much to his surprise, when lithium chloride, LiCl, a chemical that would be expected to break hydrogen bonds between water molecules was added, and then diluted away, the thermoluminescent glow became reduced, but the reduction of peak 2 was greater relative to peak 1. Sodium chloride, NaCl, had the same effect albeit to a lesser degree.

It appears, therefore, that substances like LiCl and NaCl can modify the hydrogen-bonded network of water, and that this modification remains even when the molecules have been diluted away.

The fact that this ‘memory’ remains, in spite of, or because of vigorous stirring or shaking at successive dilutions, indicates that the ‘memory’ is by no means static, but depends on a dynamic process, perhaps a collective quantum excitation of water molecules that has a high degree of stability (see "The strangeness of water and homeopathic memory", SiS 15).

Institute of Science in Society

From the Institute of Science in Society

3. The Strangeness of Water & Homeopathic ‘Memory’

Is there any reason for homeopathic remedies to work? Does the strangeness of water hold the key? Dr. Mae-Wan Ho describes recent ideas on how the quantum electrodynamic properties of water could provide the basis of homeopathic ‘memory’ and how one might investigate them.

Water is the most abundant substance on the surface of the earth and is the main constituent of all living organisms. The human body is about 65 percent water by weight, with some tissues such as the brain and the lung containing nearly 80 percent. The water in our body is almost completely tied up with proteins, DNA and other macromolecules in a liquid crystalline matrix that enables our body to work in a remarkably coherent and co-ordinated way (see "To science with love", this issue).

Although water is the most familiar of liquids, it is also the most mysterious. Water is densest at 4 C and expands on freezing at 0 C, which is why ice floats, fortunately for fish and other aquatic creatures.

The water molecule consists of an oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms (H2O). The water molecule has the shape of a tetrahedron, a three-dimensional triangle. The oxygen atom sits in the heart of the tetrahedron, the hydrogen atoms point at two of the four corners and two electron clouds point to the remaining opposite corners. The clouds of negative charge result from the atomic structures of oxygen and hydrogen and the way they combine in the water molecule.

Oxygen has eight negatively charged electrons disposed around its positively charged nucleus rather like layers of the onion, two in the inner shell and six in an outer shell. The inner shell’s capacity is filled, but the outer shell can hold as many as eight. Hydrogen has only one electron, so oxygen, by combining with two hydrogen atoms, completes its outer electron shell. The hydrogen’s electron is slightly more attracted to the oxygen nucleus than its own nucleus, which makes the water molecule polar, and it ends up with two clouds of slightly negative charge around the oxygen atom, and its two hydrogen atoms are left with slightly positive charges.

The positively charged hydrogen of each water molecule can attract the negatively charged oxygen of another, giving rise to a hydrogen-bond (H-bond) between molecules. Each molecule of water can form four H-bonds, two between the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atoms of two other molecules, and two between its oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms of other molecules. Ice is usually composed of a lattice of water molecules arranged with perfect tetrahedral geometry. In liquid water, however, the structure can be quite random and irregular. The actual number of H-bonds per liquid water molecule ranges from three to six, with an average of about 4.5. At ordinary temperatures, liquid water consists of dynamic clusters of 50 to 100 water molecules, in which the H-bonds are constantly making and breaking (or flickering). The tetrahedral H-bonded molecule also gives water a loosely packed structure compared with that of most other liquids, such as oils or liquid nitrogen.

Water offers eternal fascination for physicists and physical chemists, not the least of the reasons being that it enables DNA and all proteins to function properly in the living organism (see Box).

Water is the real medium of life

The importance of water to living processes derives not only from its ability to form hydrogen bonds with other water molecules, but especially from its capacity to interact with various types of biological molecules. Because of its polar nature, water readily interacts with other polar and charged molecules such as acids, salts, sugars and various regions of proteins and DNA. As a result of these interactions, water can dissolve those substances, which are consequently described as hydrophilic (water loving). In contrast water does not interact well with nonpolar molecules such as fats, oil and water don’t mix. Nonpolar molecules are hydrophobic (water-fearing).

Hydrophobic interactions in water are very important for protein folding, because the chain folds so as to keep the hydrophobic parts inside, and expose the hydrophilic parts on the surfaces next to water. Proteins only work when they are folded properly and when there is water around, when they become ‘plasticised’ or flexible.

The properties of water and its interactions with proteins and DNA have been extensively studied using molecular dynamic simulations. These computer simulations follow the motions of populations of molecules according to interactions between atoms within the molecules and between molecules.

Molecular dynamic simulations show that while polar molecules such as urea form hydrogen bonds with water and dissolve in it, water molecules either don’t mix at all with nonpolar substances such as fat and oil, or tend to form a cage around the molecules.

These simulations also show that water is integral to the structure and function of all macromolecules. Early attempts to create molecular dynamics of models of DNA failed because repulsive forces between the negatively charged phosphate groups in the DNA backbone cause the molecule to break up after only 50 picoseconds. (The 50 picoseconds are in terms of real time as experienced by the DNA, and would have taken hours, if not days of computer time.) In the late 1980s, Levitt and Miriam Hirshberg showed that when water molecules were included, the DNA double-helical structure was stabilised by the water molecules forming hydrogen bonds with the phosphate groups. Subsequent simulations showed that water interacts with nearly every part of the DNA’s double helix, including the base pairs.

In contrast, water does not penetrate deeply into the structures of proteins, whose hydrophobic regions are tucked within. So, protein-water simulations have focused on the protein surface, which is much less tightly packed than the protein interior. From experiments, we know that heat causes the alpha-helices (a predominant structural feature of proteins) to uncurl, but in early simulations without water, the helix remained intact. Only by adding water were Levitt and Valerie Daggett able to mimic an alpha helix’s actual behaviour.

Recent investigations in our own Institute are showing that water is integral to the liquid crystalline structure of living organisms. The liquid crystalline structure of organisms holds the key to rapid intercommunication within the organism and the perfect co-ordination of living processes.

While most physicists and biochemists are still trying to understand the interactions of water molecules in terms of classical mechanics, a number of physicists have begun to think of the quantum properties of water.

Conventionally, quantum properties are thought to belong to elementary particles of less than 10-10m, while the macroscopic world of our everyday life is ‘classical’, in that things in it behave according to Newton’s laws of motion. Between the macroscopic classical world and the microscopic quantum world is the mesoscopic domain, where the distinction is getting increasingly blurred. Indeed, physicists are discovering quantum properties in large collections of atoms and molecules in the nano-metre to micro-metre range, particularly when the molecules are packed closely together in the liquid phase.

Recently, chemists have made the surprising discovery that molecules form clusters that increase in size with dilution. These clusters measure several micro-metres in diameter. The increase in size occurs nonlinearly with dilution and it depends on history, flying in the face of classical chemistry (see "Molecules clump on dilution", this issue). Indeed, there is as yet no explanation for the phenomenon. It may well be another reflection of the strangeness of water that depends on its quantum properties.

In the mid-1990s, quantum physicists Del Giudice and Preparata and other colleagues in University of Milan, in Italy, argued that quantum coherent domains measuring 100nm in diameter could arise in pure water. They show how the collective vibrations of the water molecules in the coherent domain eventually become phase-locked to the fluctuations of the global electromagnetic field. In this way, long-lasting, stable oscillations could be maintained in the water.

One way in which ‘memory’ might be stored in water is through the excitation of long-lasting coherent oscillations specific to the substances in the homeopathic remedy dissolved in water. Interaction of water molecules with other molecules changes the collective structure of water, which would in turn determine the specific coherent oscillations that will develop. If these become stabilised and maintained by phase coupling between the global field and the excited molecules, then, even when the dissolved substances are diluted away, the water may still carry the coherent oscillations that can ‘seed’ other volumes of water on dilution.

The discovery that dissolved substances form increasingly large clusters is compatible with the existence of a coherent field in water that can transmit attractive resonance between the molecules when the oscillations are in phase, leading to clumping in dilute solutions. As the cluster of molecules increases in size, its electromagnetic signature is correspondingly amplified, reinforcing the coherent oscillations carried by the water.

But then, one should expect changes in some physical properties in the water that could be detectable.

Unfortunately, all attempts to detect such coherent oscillations by usual spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance methods have yielded ambiguous results. This is not surprising, in view of the finding that cluster size of the dissolved molecules depends on the precise history of dilution rather than on concentration of the molecules (see "Molecules clump on dilution", this issue).

It is possible that despite variations in the cluster-size of the dissolved molecules and detailed microscopic structure of the water, a specificity of coherent oscillations may nonetheless exist. The failure of the usual detection methods is because they depend on measuring the microscopic properties of individual molecules, or of small aggregates. Instead, what is needed is a method for detecting collective global properties over many, many molecules. Some obvious possibilities that suggest themselves are measurements of freezing points and boiling points, viscosity, density, diffusivity, and magnetic properties.

One intriguing possibility for detecting changes in collective global properties of water that is not so obvious is by means of crystallisation. Crystals are formed from macroscopic collections of molecules. Like other measurements that depend on global properties, crystals amplify the subtle changes in individual molecules that would have been undetectable otherwise (see next article).

From the New Scientist

Icy claim that water has memory

19:00 11 June 2003
New Scientist Print Edition.

Claims do not come much more controversial than the idea that water might retain a memory of substances once dissolved in it. The notion is central to homeopathy, which treats patients with samples so dilute they are unlikely to contain a single molecule of the active compound, but it is generally ridiculed by scientists.

Holding such a heretical view famously cost one of France's top allergy researchers, Jacques Benveniste, his funding, labs and reputation after his findings were discredited in 1988.

Yet a paper is about to be published in the reputable journal Physica A claiming to show that even though they should be identical, the structure of hydrogen bonds in pure water is very different from that in homeopathic dilutions of salt solutions. Could it be time to take the "memory" of water seriously?

The paper's author, Swiss chemist Louis Rey, is using thermoluminescence to study the structure of solids. The technique involves bathing a chilled sample with radiation. When the sample is warmed up, the stored energy is released as light in a pattern that reflects the atomic structure of the sample.

Twin peaks

When Rey used the method on ice he saw two peaks of light, at temperatures of around 120 K and 170 K. Rey wanted to test the idea, suggested by other researchers, that the 170 K peak reflects the pattern of hydrogen bonds within the ice. In his experiments he used heavy water (which contains the heavy hydrogen isotope deuterium), because it has stronger hydrogen bonds than normal water.

Aware of homeopaths' claims that patterns of hydrogen bonds can survive successive dilutions, Rey decided to test samples that had been diluted down to a notional 10-30 grams per cubic centimetre - way beyond the point when any ions of the original substance could remain. "We thought it would be of interest to challenge the theory," he says.

Each dilution was made according to a strict protocol, and vigorously stirred at each stage, as homeopaths do. When Rey compared the ultra-dilute lithium and sodium chloride solutions with pure water that had been through the same process, the difference in their thermoluminescence peaks compared with pure water was still there (see graph).

"Much to our surprise, the thermoluminescence glows of the three systems were substantially different," he says. He believes the result proves that the networks of hydrogen bonds in the samples were different.

Phase transition

Martin Chaplin from London's South Bank University, an expert on water and hydrogen bonding, is not so sure. "Rey's rationale for water memory seems most unlikely," he says. "Most hydrogen bonding in liquid water rearranges when it freezes."

He points out that the two thermoluminescence peaks Rey observed occur around the temperatures where ice is known to undergo transitions between different phases. He suggests that tiny amounts of impurities in the samples, perhaps due to inefficient mixing, could be getting concentrated at the boundaries between different phases in the ice and causing the changes in thermoluminescence.

But thermoluminescence expert Raphael Visocekas from the Denis Diderot University of Paris, who watched Rey carry out some of his experiments, says he is convinced. "The experiments showed a very nice reproducibility," he told New Scientist. "It is trustworthy physics." He see no reason why patterns of hydrogen bonds in the liquid samples should not survive freezing and affect the molecular arrangement of the ice.

After his own experience, Benveniste advises caution. "This is interesting work, but Rey's experiments were not blinded and although he says the work is reproducible, he doesn't say how many experiments he did," he says. "As I know to my cost, this is such a controversial field, it is mandatory to be as foolproof as possible."

Jacques Benveniste

Benveniste was a French immunologist (March 12, 1935 - October 3, 2004). In 1979 he published in the French Compte rendus de l'Académie des Sciences a well-known paper where he contributes to the description of the structure of the platelet-activating factor and its relationships with histamine. He was head of INSERM's Unit 200 directed at "Immunology, allergy and inflammation". He was at the center of a major international controversy in 1988 when he published a paper in the prestigious scientific journal Nature reporting on the action of very high dilutions of anti-immunoglobulin E on the degranulation of human basophils, a kind of white blood cell. Biologists were puzzled by these results as only molecules of water, and no molecules of the initial substance (anti-IgE) are expected to be found in these high dilutions. These results seem to indicate that the configuration of molecules in water may be biologically active. A journalist coined the term water memory for this hypothesis.

As a condition for publication, Nature asked for the results to be replicated by independent laboraties, which was done. The article was then published. A follow-up investigation of Benveniste's laboratory by a team including Nature editor Dr. John Maddox and "professional pseudo-science debunker" James Randi, with the cooperation of Benveniste's own team, failed to replicate the results. Subsequent investigations have yielded mixed results. Benveniste's reputation was damaged, but he refused to retract his controversial article. He began to fund his research himself as his external sources of funding were withdrawn, and in 1997 he founded the company DigiBio to further his research:: "The principal mission of DigiBio is to develop and commercialise applications of Digital Biology."

Benveniste died in Paris at the age of 69 after heart surgery. He was twice married and had five children.

From Wikepedia...

Water memory is a scientifically unsupported speculation that water is capable of retaining a memory of particles once dissolved in it, even after being diluted so much that the chance of even one molecule remaining in the quantity being used is minuscule.[1][2] Shaking the water at each stage of a serial dilution is claimed to be necessary for an effect to occur.[3] The concept was proposed by Jacques Benveniste to explain the alleged therapeutic powers of homeopathic remedies, which are prepared by serially diluting aqueous solutions to such a high degree that even a single molecule of the original solute is highly unlikely to remain in each final preparation. Benveniste sought to prove this as the basic foundation of homeopathy, by conducting an experiment to be published "independently of homeopathic interests" in a major journal.[4] However, while some studies, including Benveniste's, have claimed such an effect, double-blind repetitions of the experiments involved have failed to reproduce the results, and the concept is not accepted by the scientific community.[5]

The most prominent advocate of this idea was the French immunologist Jacques Benveniste.[4] His team, at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), diluted a solution of human antibodies to such a degree that there was no likelihood that a single molecule remained, but said that when human basophils were exposed to the solution, they responded by releasing a chemical substance as they would have if they had encountered the original antibody (part of the allergic reaction). The effect supposedly only worked when the solution was shaken violently. Benveniste claimed "It's like agitating a car key in the river, going miles downstream, extracting a few drops of water, and then starting one's car with the water." [6] At the time, Benveniste offered no explanation of how the effect might work.

Benveniste sent the research to the science journal Nature for publication. There was concern on the part of Nature's editorial oversight board that the material, if published, would lend credibility to homeopathic practitioners even if the effects eventually proved untrue. There was equal concern that the research was simply wrong, given the changes that it would demand of the known laws of physics and chemistry. The editor of Nature, John Maddox, stated that, "Our minds were not so much closed as unready to change our whole view of how science is constructed."[6] But rejecting the paper on any objective grounds was deemed unsupportable; there were no known mistakes within the methodology that were apparent at the time.

In the end, a compromise was reached. The paper was published in Nature Vol. 333 on 30 June 1988,[3] but it was accompanied with an editorial by Maddox that noted "There are good and particular reasons why prudent people should, for the time being, suspend judgment" and described some of the fundamental laws of chemistry and physics which it would violate, if shown to be true.[1] Additionally, Maddox demanded that the experiments be re-run under the supervision of a hand-picked group of what became known as "ghostbusters", including Maddox, famed magician-cum-paranormal researcher James Randi, and Walter Stewart, a physicist and free-lance debunker at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

The team travelled to Benveniste's lab and the experiments were re-run. In the first series the original experimental procedure was carried out as it had been when the paper was first submitted for publication. The experiments were successful, matching the published data quite closely. However, Maddox noted that during the procedure the experimenters were aware of which test tubes originally contained the antibodies and which did not. A second experimental series was started with Maddox and his team in charge of the double-blinding; notebooks were photographed, the lab videotaped, and vials juggled and secretly coded. Randi went so far as to wrap the labels in tinfoil, seal them in an envelope, and then stick them on the ceiling so Benveniste and his colleagues could not read them. Although everyone was confident that the outcome would be the same, reportedly including the Maddox-led team, the effect immediately disappeared.

Nature published a follow-up report in the very next issue[7]: "We conclude that there is no substantial basis for the claim that antiIgE at high dilution (by factors as great as 10120) retains its biological effectiveness, and that the hypothesis that water can be imprinted with the memory of past solutes is as unnecessary as it is fanciful." Nevertheless, there was no suggestion of fraud; Maddox and his team initially speculated that someone in the lab "was playing a trick on Benveniste,"[6] but later concluded, "We believe the laboratory has fostered and then cherished a delusion about the interpretation of its data." Maddox also pointed out that two of Benveniste's researchers were being paid for by the French homeopathic company Boiron.

In a response letter published in the same issue of the journal, Benveniste lashed out at Maddox and complained about the "ordeal" he endured at the hands of the Nature team, comparing it to "Salem witchhunts or McCarthy-like prosecutions."[8] In both the Nature response and a following Quirks and Quarks episode, Benveniste especially complained about Stewart, who he stated acted as if they were all frauds and treated them with disdain, complaining about his "typical know-it-all attitude". In his Nature letter, Benveniste also implied that Randi was attempting to hoodwink the experimental run by doing magic tricks, "distracting the technician in charge of its supervision!" He was more apologetic on Quirks and Quarks, re-phrasing his mention of Randi to imply that he had kept the team amused with his tricks and that his presence was generally welcomed. He also pointed out that although it was true two of his team-members were being paid for by a homeopathic company, the same company had paid for Maddox's team's hotel bill.

Maddox was unapologetic, stating "I'm sorry we didn't find something more interesting." On the same Quirks and Quarks show he dismissed Benveniste's complaints, stating that the possibility that the results would be used by the homeopathy community demanded an immediate re-test. In failing, the tests demonstrated that the initial results were likely due to the experimenter effect. He also pointed out that the entire test procedure that Benveniste later complained about was one that had been agreed upon in advance by all parties. It was only when the test then failed that Benveniste claimed it was not appropriate.

The debate continued in the letters section of Nature for several issues, until eventually being ended by the editorial board. It continued in the French press for some time.[9] For all of the arguing over the retests, it has done nothing to stop what Maddox worried about; even in the light of their failure they are still used to claim that the experiments "prove" that homeopathy works.[10] One of Benveniste's co-authors on the Nature paper, Francis Beauvais, later stated that while unblinded experimental trials usually yielded "correct" results (i.e. ultradiluted samples were biologically active, controls were not), "the results of blinded samples were almost always at random and did not fit the expected results: some 'controls' were active and some 'active' samples were without effect on the biological system."[11]

[edit]More recent experiments
Third-party attempts at replication of the Benveniste experiment have produced mixed results. Nature published a paper describing number of follow-up experiments that failed to find a similar effect in 1993[12] and an independent study published in Experientia in 1992 showed no effect.[13] However, an international team led by Professor Madeleine Ennis of Queen's University of Belfast claimed to have succeeded.[14] Randi then forwarded the $1 million challenge to the BBC Horizon program to prove the "water memory" theory following Ennis' experimental procedure. In response, experiments were conducted with the Vice-President of the Royal Society, Professor John Enderby, overseeing the proceedings. The challenge ended with the Horizon team failing to prove the memory of water.[15] For a piece on homeopathy, the ABC program 20/20 also attempted, unsuccessfully, to reproduce Ennis's results.[16]
Benveniste claimed in a 1997 paper that the memory effect could be transmitted over phone lines.[17] This culminated in two additional papers in 1999[18] and another on remote-transmission in 2000.[19] This work has never been accepted by the rest of the scientific community, and an investigation into the subject by the American Department of Defence failed to find any effect.[20]
Research published in 2005 on hydrogen bond network dynamics in water showed that "liquid water essentially loses the memory of persistent correlations in its structure" within fifty femtoseconds.[21]

References
1 ^ a b Anonymous [John Maddox] (1988). "When to believe the unbelievable". Nature 333 (6176): 787. doi:10.1038/333787a0.
2 ^ See Mole (unit) and Homeopathy for more detailed information on how we can calculate the original number of molecules.
3 ^ a b E. Dayenas; F. Beauvais, J. Amara , M. Oberbaum, B. Robinzon, A. Miadonna, A. Tedeschit, B. Pomeranz, P. Fortner, P. Belon, J. Sainte-Laudy, B. Poitevin and J. Benveniste (30 June 1988). "Human basophil degranulization triggered by very dilute antiserum against IgE". Nature 333: 816-818. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
4 ^ a b Poitevin, Bernard (2005). "Jacques Benveniste: a personal tribute". Homeopathy 94 (2): 138-139. doi:10.1016/j.homp.2005.02.004.
5 ^ P. Ball, Here lies one whose name is writ in water. Nature. 8 August 2007, doi:10.1038/news070806-6. [1]
6 ^ a b c John Langone (8 August 1988). "The Water That Lost Its Memory". Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
7 ^ J. Maddox; J. Randi, W. W. Stewart (28 July 1988). ""High-dilution" experiments a delusion". Nature 334: 287-290. doi:10.1038/334287a0. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
8 ^ J. Benveniste (28 July 1988). "Dr Jacques Benveniste replies". Nature 334: 291. doi:10.1038/334291a0. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
9 ^ P. Coles (28 July 1988). "Benveniste controversy rages on in the French press". Nature 334: 372. doi:10.1038/334372a0.
10 ^ Homeopathy breakthrough
11 ^ Memory of water and blinding, Francis Beauvais, Homeopathy, 97(1):41-42, January 2008.
12 ^ Hirst S. J.; Hayes N. A., Burridge J., Pearce FL, Foreman JC. (December 9, 1993). "Human basophil degranulation is not triggered by very dilute antiserum against human IgE". Nature 366 (5): 525-527. doi:10.1038/366525a0. PMID 2455231.
13 ^ Ovelgonne, J. H.; Bol, A. W., Hop, W. C., van Wijk, R (May 15, 1992). "Mechanical agitation of very dilute antiserum against IgE has no effect on basophil staining properties". Experientia 48 (5): 504-508. Birkhäuser Verlag.
14 ^ P. Belon; J. Cumps, M. Ennis, P. F. Mannaioni, J. Sainte-Laudy, M. Roberfroid, F. A. C. Wiegant (April 1999). "Inhibition of human basophil degranulation by successive histamine dilutions: Results of a European multi-centre trial". Inflammation Research 48 (Supplement 1): 17-18. doi:10.1007/s000110050376.
15 ^ Homeopathy: The test. (2003-11-26). Retrieved on 2007-03-04.
16 ^ Stossel, John. "Homeopathic Remedies - Can Water Really Remember?", 20/20, ABC News. Retrieved on 2008-01-22. (English)
17 ^ J. Benveniste; P. Jurgens, W. Hsueh and J. Aissa (February 21-26, 1997). "Transatlantic Transfer of Digitized Antigen Signal by Telephone Link". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
18 ^ J. Benveniste; Aissa, J., Guillonnet. "The molecular signal is not functional in the absence of "informed water"". Medical Hypotheses 54 (A163 (abstr.)).
19 ^ J. Benveniste; Thomas Y, Schiff M, Belkadi L, Jurgens P, Kahhak L. "Activation of human neutrophils by electronically transmitted phorbol-myristate acetate". FASEB Journal 13 (1): 33-39. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
20 ^ Jonas, Wayne B.; John A. Ives, Florence Rollwagen, Daniel W. Denman, Kenneth Hintz, Mitchell Hammer, Cindy Crawford, and Kurt Henry (January 2006). "Can specific biological signals be digitized?". FASEB Journal 20 (1): 23-28. doi:10.1096/fj.05-3815hyp. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
21 ^ Cowan ML, Bruner BD, Huse N, et al (2005). "Ultrafast memory loss and energy redistribution in the hydrogen bond network of liquid H2O". Nature 434 (7030): 199–202. doi:10.1038/nature03383. PMID 15758995.

More below...

Flower Power!
The natural way to ease stress?

Interview with Jane Stevenson (founder of Creature Comforters and co-founder of Sun Essences)
by Alice Digby

June 2006

Flower essences were first discovered in the 1930s by respected Harley Street doctor Edward Bach (of the Bach Flower Remedies). They are liquid herbal products which are used to address transient emotional problems; a complementary therapy which work on a psychological level rather than a physical one, and can be safely used alongside other forms of treatment. Over the past 20 years this alternative therapy has become a more accepted and familiar form of healing for both humans and animals. Veterinary clinics, equine clubs, rescue homes and the RSPCA have found the essences especially useful as a gentle and natural alternative for helping animals with various problems such as ‘separation anxiety’, misbehaviour or stress. Essentially, flower essences are used to help promote calm, balanced and well adjusted behaviour.

Dr Bach discovered 38 different remedies/essences which he used as a natural way to help people who were suffering emotionally. He used the ‘energy signature’ of flowers such as Aspen for anxiety, Larch for under-confidence or Holly for anger. Since the 1930’s several new essences have also been discovered, many of which are particularly suited to the unique emotional or behavioural problems experienced by animals, such as Bluebell and Chamomile, which have been shown to help pacify highly-strung animals who are spooked, nervous or scatty.

So why use flower essences for animals?

Anyone who has a pet or works with animals knows that they can suffer with emotional as well as behavioural problems. They can experience a similar range of responses as us: fear, rage, stress, sadness, bereavement, jealousy etc. However, there is little in the way of conventional help for animals experiencing such emotional problems.

Traditional allopathic treatments used to support nervous animals (for instance) can sometimes present them with the unwanted side effects of drowsiness or lethargy. This is where flower essences are different because they can gently soothe an animal, without masking their true nature.

Qualified practitioner Jane Stevenson has over 26 years experience using flower essences to help people. She began in the 1980’s by providing individual consultations for people with emotional problems, and found this pure and natural remedial method to be extremely effective and rewarding. She is a founding partner of ‘Sun Essences’ who make a range of essences including the Bach Flower Remedies. The company has built into one of the principle English flower essence companies in the UK. However, over recent years, Jane found that she was treating more and more animals with flower essences and so the flower essence company: ‘Creature Comforters’ was born (formerly: Sun Essences for Animals). Her love of flowers and affinity with animals culminated in the development of a unique collection of flower essence blends, designed to alleviate the key emotional and behavioural problems experienced by animals. Jane is now dedicated to helping animals: working closely with vets, trainers, animal sanctuaries and the RSPCA. ‘Creature Comforters ’ is based in Cromer, Norfolk, where Dr Bach lived and worked during the 1930’s, and Jane feels privileged to continue this important work so close to its original roots.

She says: “I formed ‘Creature Comforters’ because I found that many animals were suffering simply from surviving in the unnatural environment of 21 century living, and I wanted to provide some help for them.

“We have developed six unique flower essence blends designed to alleviate the key emotional and behavioural problems experienced by animal s.” Through many years experience as a practitioner and using analysis of case studies (using various essences on different animal behaviour traits) Jane has developed the optimal combination of ingredients for each blend.

Firstly there are the ‘constitutional’ blends of, Courage, Balance and Mellow. These are blends which are for ‘personality’ types, or for an animal’s innate temperament. For example, an uncourageous cat may be intrinsically timid, submissive, nervous or insecure, and may be apprehensive in the company of strangers. This blend can enable

them to face the world with bravery, confidence and courage. A disobedient dog may be highly strung, overly boisterous, scatty and excitable, and may be difficult to train. Using the Balance blend can help to calm down unmanageable behaviour so that the animal is more disciplined and compliant. You may need to pacify a dominant horse who may be stubborn, stroppy and impulsive, or they may be generally bad tempered. The Mellow blend can help them to harness their naturally domineering temperament to replace bossiness and aggression with natural leadership and restraint.

The Vigour Blend effectively has a dual-purpose. The first use is to help lift the spirits of an animal who may be down in the dumps, miserable and has lost its sparkle, as it can help to release a pet from a despondent and melancholic disposition. The second use is as a support during convalescence or tired old age. Used for when he/she is lethargic or apathetic with no get-up-and-go, Vigour Blend has also been found to help an animal to regain its appetite following illness or trauma. This is a common problem which, if left untreated, can quickly lead to deterioration of health.

The fifth blend in the range is the Comfort Blend which is especially useful for the many pets who pine when left ‘home alone’ for hours on end while their owner is at work. This can be very distressing for domesticated pets whose natural environment is to be part of ‘pack’, and fundamentally need companionship. Such animals often suffer from ‘separation anxiety’, which can show itself in all manner of ways, such as, destructive behaviour (nibbling furniture), or showing signs of deep anguish (frantic barking/howling). Using this blend can help to break ‘angst driven’ repetitive patterns, and can enable them cope with feelings of isolation.
It can also act as a soothing comforter for bereaved and lonely pets who are pining the loss of an animal companion or owner.

The Comfort Blend is primarily used for helping animals to cope with circumstances where they are separated from their loved ones or are adjusting to new situations, such as: rescue animals, moving to a new home or being placed in kennel accommodation. Sadly, far too many animals spend a life time being moved from pillar to post, especially horses whose owners often out-grow them or they can no longer afford to keep them. Each time these animals have to adjust to new surroundings, new owners, new companions and new rules. This blend contains many essences which can really help with such changes, for example Bach’s ‘Walnut’ (used for adjusting to new situations).

The most universal and popular blend in the range is the Relax Blend which is used like a ‘first aid’ for alarming or distressing events such as accidents, fireworks ‘show nerves’ or traveling. It can also be particularly helpful for the many pets who quiver and quake on a visit to the ‘dreaded’ groomers or vets! For example it recently helped a feral cat called Lucy (rescued by a Cornish animal sanctuary), who used to be petrified at the vets. Lucy’s carers administered the ‘spray’ version of Relax Blend into her carrier on the way to vets to have her stitches removed. The staff of the animal sanctuary said that they were absolutely amazed, and delighted with the results because Lucy was: “Unbelievably relaxed, and didn't flinch at all while having her stitches removed.”

There are also some fantastic results when using the Relax Blend for animals who are terrified of fireworks. Jane says: “My clients have reported ‘huge improvements’ in their pet’s anxiety levels when using this blend in conjunction with other techniques, such as turning up the TV/radio and closing the curtains. For best results I advise that this blend is administered for up to two weeks leading up to any distressing event such as Bonfire night or New Years Eve.”

Jane explains the unique problems faced by horses: “They are rehomed, sold-on or exchanged more than almost any other domesticated animal, and so they are particularly susceptible to the unique problems this can cause. Intrinsically herd animals, horses are predisposed to conditions such as ‘separation anxiety’ when parted from their loved ones, horse companions or when sold-on to new owners. “I have also observed that some rehomed horses present unexplained behavioural problems which may be a consequence of unsuitable handling/training employed by former owners.”

Animals are often prevented from following their natural instincts, they are frequently forced to suppress any innate urges or are expected to ‘perform’ on demand, in some cases this can cause anything from fearful to disruptive behaviour.

Jane adds: “I use the flower essences for animals in the same way as for people; to help gently address short and long-term negative personality, temperament and behaviour traits.

A recent example of how flower essences helped a distressed animal is with ‘Misty’ a young palomino pony. She was a rescue mare who had been neglected to the point of near death from starvation and so was extremely exhausted and traumatized. Her new owners lovingly nursed her back to good health and she received all the necessary veterinary treatment for her various physical problems. She was now the picture of physical health. However, her new owners couldn't find a way to ease Misty’s anxiety, distress and subsequent ill discipline. She would become stroppy and ‘mare-ish’ whilst having her girth tightened and baulked at having her rug on. She was also very anxious and uncontrollable while out on a ride. The vet checked her over and didn't find any physical problems, so it was deduced that her misbehaviour must be related to her previous traumatic experiences. Her owners decided to try flower essence therapy in the form of a ‘Personalised Blend’ of essences formulated to help address her past traumatic experiences. Within a few weeks of taking the blend she started to improve, becoming much calmer and less jumpy. There were no longer any problems tightening the girth, and she behaved impeccably while out on a ride. Misty was also given the Distress Blend, for her fear of fireworks, and on Bonfire night she just calmly stood in her stable and watched the fireworks going off! Her owners put this dramatic improvement solely down to the use of flower essences.

Clearly there are times when an animal may misbehave or be distressed because of a physical weakness or discomfort and so if the root of disobedience is unknown then they should always be seen by a vet in the first instance. Jane explains: “A horse may buck when ridden (for example) because they have a back injury which is causing discomfort, and not because they are just being obstinate. If the animal is still disruptive or nervous after seeing the vet (and any physical weakness has been ruled out) I have found that flower essences can very effectively address such challenging behaviour and my clients have reported some remarkable results using this therapy .”

Although flower essences do not specifically treat physical ailments, they can stimulate an animal’s own natural healing mechanism which can, in turn, help to re-establish their enthusiasm and vitality, and to aid natural ‘emotional’ healing. Jane says: “In some instances it can be beneficial to use training techniques in conjunction with flower essences and, of course, always loving care.”

Like homeopathy, it is not yet understood precisely how or why flower essences work. Jane says: “Despite the absence of a scientific explanation I have found flower essences to be a gentle yet powerful tool on countless occasions. It never ceases to amaze me how these delicate little flowers have the ability to stimulate our in-built healing mechanisms. “Also, the ‘placebo effect’ is wholly extraneous with regard to animals and so I consider this to be further proof that flower essences really do work.”

Flower essences have been used with confidence worldwide for over 75 years and their recognition and popularity continues to grow.

Contact:
Jane Stevenson
Flower Essence Practitioner (BFVEA)
(07000) 785337