Tetanus, Yew, Acai

bean-ghluine

On St Kilda 56 babies between 1855 & 1876 41 died, most from neonatal tetanus.. the midwife or bean-ghluine ( knee woman) used red fulmar oil to anoint the cut umbilical.. .. the oil stored for years in a goose stomach ... Rev Fidde halted this practice.. but the population had already sunk too low (?) .. the last 35 inhabitants evacuated in 1930

Bernard Dixon How Microbes rule the world 1994 (94 is a now a long time ago in biology)
Its clear why the UN calls ye olde midwives TBA (Traditional Birth Attendants) and reserves 'Midwife" for modern evidence-based practitioners

the BBC disagrees:

Recent research has suggested that the tetanus bacterium was not present in the oil at all, but in the soil.
The 8-day illness was thought to be the result of unhygienic living conditions, pollution by heavy metals and dioxins. It was eradicated after 1891 following the introduction of hygienic nursing practices. -

the Goose stomach may have been the reservoir for C.tetani
[8-day seems unlikely to be from soot]
bbc


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Yew Wood

Churches in England are often near ancient Yew trees, older than the buildings...
Long-bow Yew timber was obtained from Spain and Italy, the English Yew wood was too britle.
The Long-bow itself couldn't be used in humid Mediterraen latitudes.

Heart for compressive strength, sapwood for tensle. Easier to mass produce than the Parthian compound bow (horn+, sinew...?)


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Acai

Acai Extract Shows Brain Health Potential December 2010

.. autophagy ..controlled degradation of cells, .. berry extracts may enhance the process ..Center on Aging at Tufts U..

..... anti-inflammatory effects of acai extracts in microglia ... in rodents...acai pulp protected against.. including COX-2 and TNF-alpha.
...............
The acai fruit is mostly found on the beaches of Brazil and Peru.
(Euterpe oleracea) is a species of palm tree ... . flavoring in tequila,
Dr Oz apparently pushed for weight loss..
'fruit of the moment' 2007 - it seems I have arrived late at this craze
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