b'HeALTH BITS & PIECES News from ChinaMedicalhistorianshavespeculated By Dan Kenner, Ph.D., LAc thattheuseofChineseherbsmaybe Neither Health Freedom News nor I are suggestingthe reason why the Chinese did not suf-that any such medical care or treatmentbe conducted without competent fer from the great pandemics that swept medical advice and supervision. acrossEurope,liketheBlackPlague. Today,TraditionalChineseMedicine (TCM) appears to be effective in treating Essential Oils for Viral Infection oil extracted from turmeric. It was foundCOVID-19 infections in Chinese hospitals. More than 25 essential oils are officialto inhibit influenza-virus replicationAs of February 5th, 214 confirmed cases medicaments in the European Pharma- with antiviral activity against the H1N1of coronavirus infection in four provinces copoeia. Among them, essential oils ofand H3N2 influenza A viruses and thewere treated with the TCM decoction Qin-anise, bitter fennel fruit, eucalyptus,influenza B virus. gfei Paidutang (Cleanse-lung-discharge-peppermint, tea tree, and thyme areEuropean Pharmacopoeia Commission, toxin) Decoction. The total effective rate frequently used for the treatment ofEuropean Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.)was more than 90%. Over 60% of the pa-respiratory tract diseases. Common10th Edition (2007), Council of Europe,tients showed significant improvement chemical constituents of essential oils,Strasbourg; Setzer W, Essential oils asin symptoms and radiographic findings; including menthol and 1,8- cineole,complementary and alternative medicinesover 30% of the patients had stable symp-have been extensively used in humanfor the treatment of influenza, Americantoms and no exacerbation. Another source experiments. Menthol has been shownJournal of Essential Oils and Natu- reported that Qingfei Paidutang has been to be antitussive in low concentration,ral Products, 2016; 4(4): 16-22; Canused in treating 701 confirmed cases in and reduces respiratory discomfort andBaser K & Buchbauer G, Handbook often provinces, of which 130 patients have dyspnea. The monoterpene 1,8- cineole,Essential Oils: Science, Technology,been cured and discharged. Li Yu, an of-also known as eucalyptol, is antimicro- and Applications, CRC Press, Taylor &ficial with the National Administration bial, antitussive, mucolytic, anti-inflam- Francis Group, New York, 2010; Juergens matory, a bronchodilator, and promotesU, Anti-inflammatory properties of theof TCM, reported that symptoms disap-ciliary transport. It is useful for treatingmonoterpene 1.8-cineole: current evidencepeared in 51 cases and improved in 268, a wide range of respiratory conditions.with another 212 remaining in stable con-Its anti-inflammatory property makes itfor co-medication in inflammatory airwaydition. Li added that the herbal decoction useful not only in respiratory infectionsdiseases, Drug Research, 2014; 64(12):was recommended to medical institutions but inflammatory diseases like bronchial638-646, doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1372609,nationwide on February 6th after data asthma and COPD. It is found in numer- Epub 2014 May 15; Liao Q, Qian Z, Liu R,analysis of 214 cases. Detailed clinical re-ous essential oils including eucalyptus,An L, Chen X, Germacrone inhibits earlycords showed that fever was reduced to helichrysum, laurel, niaouli, ravintsara,stages of influenza virus infection, Anti- normal in 94.6% of the patients, and 80.6% rosemary, and others. Another poten- viral Research, 2013; 100(3): 578-588, doi:of 214 patients stopped coughing after tially useful phytochemical is germac- 10.1016/j.antiviral.2013.09.021, Epub 2013 rone, a major component of the essentialOctober 3. using the decoction for six days.http://finance.jrj.com cn/2020/02/07073028790484.shtml; http://www.xinhuanet.com/en-glish/2020-02/17/c_138792163.htm; https://www.tellerreport.com/news/2020-02-29-expertqingfei-paidu-decoction-is-very-effec-tive-.BJjwxjPE8.html.28 H ealtHF reedomN ews /s priNg2020HFN_SPRING-2020_4-29-2020-FINAL.indd 28 4/29/20 10:18 AM'