The sacred plant of Gabon, « Ilboga » becomes the first in worldwide scientific news, following work by an American group.
This plant has been known since the last century, existing in France as a special pharmaceutical method in the thirties, however, disappeared, like many other ancient specialities (The Americans preciously conserve in their therapeutic arsenals, these old specialities under the name of “Grandfathers product”).
Many of the new pharmaceutical molecules are originated from traditional knowledge and owe their new popularity to the simple fact that a scientific group have had access to this ancient knowledge and that the methods of modern pharmacology permits the isolation of certain active principals. A sort of transfer is actually assisted from a primitive society to a scientific society and the molecule that is recaptured, acquires a famous notoriety. It is simply forgotten that this process is implicitly validated, not only for the substance but also for the steps that are driven to its choice, in which we should question and encourage by entering into the logic, although it was an ancient choice of plants or reserved substances.
For many years, I have prescribed an old French speciality, which has been on the market since 1924. Haarlem Oil is a combination of Sulphur, Pine Turpentine and Linseed Oil, which now exists in capsules and facilitates usage.
Few doctors only know of its existence and its history is actually significant for the many remedies in which the roots are attached to traditional knowledge, the logic very different from that of today. This traditional alchemy proved to be effective, as modern critics examined the remedy. Remedies, like “Ilboga” risks to disappear before it is even noticed, as there will not always be a scientific group to popularise it. Haarlem Oil has not always been around but this remedy has been used since the 17th century. It resulted from the work of the alchemist Tilly, who continued the work of Paracelse and his assistant Van Helmont, who searched to resolve the alchemic arcanum. Due to the determining action of the great Doctor Hermann Boerhave, from the University of Leyden, who used this remedy especially for urinary lithiasis and biliary.
Haarlem Oil, established since 1696, was very popular all over Europe. Those who represented Haarlem Oil in the alchemist logic were not part of the present. However what we need to know is that the objective of this was medical and consisted of “opening” the salts, the metals and metalloids so that could be therapeutically active. (Today we use the term “bioavailable”, as this term is a reducing agent in relation to alchemic procedures.
Paracelse, Van Helmont and their successors, Tilly and Boerhave, were convinced themselves that the illness was a result of “tartaring of the organism” and it was necessary to find a solution to “melt the tartar”. (Today we use the term “eliminating of circulating toxins or deposits”). We are not surprised to learn that Haarlem Oil was used for this solution: it was the great remedy of “Gravelle” (Today it is commonly known as urinary lithiasis and biliary). In 1963 Haarlem Oil appeared with these properties in the medical encyclopedia of Professor Jean Hamburger. It was also cited in medical journals in the hospitals of Paris (No. 9 – 1963) as an inescapable remedy of lithiases.
What is more surprising is when we know what represents the “sulphur” of the alchemists – it is the confirmation. The alchemists considered that sulphur is the best carrier of energy and that the central role of sulphur is considered in energetic metabolism in a human, especially in the function of the mitochondrion. (Krebs cycle and respiratory chain).
Haarlem Oil is today partly deciphered (fully in the chemical point of view) and its action could be partly explained by the presence of a non-oxidised sulphur, colloidal metalloids, in which the bioavailability is astounding: it is found in the lungs after half and hour and in the intervertebral joints after an hour. (“open sulphur” by the alchemists). The role of sulphur is that important but we end up forgetting it. Consisting of sulphuric amino acids (methionine, cysteine, taurine), sulphur has a structural role in proteins, in the tissues, the bones, the skin and a plastic role in the cartilages and the arterial walls. Clycosaminoglgycanes, like chondroitine sulphate acid, heparin sulphate or dermatome sulphate, has a functional role in the energetic metabolism as a sulphur mineral or as constituting the different enzymes in the respiratory chain or the Krebs cycle (Fad-Nad Coenzyme A-ferredoxine). A protective role in the mechanism against the free radicals (glutathione) but also on the level of the lungs in the regulation of the mucus system by a fluidity action, by a rupture of the disulphured bridge and indrected by its corticolike action, as Haarlem Oil reacts as a natural corticostimulant of the suprarenals.
An anti-inflamatory action is evident, as well as an antiseptic action. All these actions equally explain the anti-rheumatic actions of the remedy as it is known that an inflamation is a great producer of free radicals, therefore a huge consumer of glutathion. The salicylic acid, also indometacine are responsible for the urinary leakage of sulphur, therefore it is necessary for a sulphur complement at the time of anti-inflammation.
It has to be remembered that the role of sulphur as an eliminator of toxins from the hepatic level, either by sulphuric-conjugation or either by taurine and the biliary elimination. The sulphur in food contribution is essentially constituted in the sulphuric amino acids, especially in methionine. Certain plants contain sulphur : horseradish, cabbage, onions and garlic.
Besides bronchitis and rhumatism, Haarlem Oil also has succes with those that have toxins to eliminate: sportsmen in their recuperation phase and those that want to stop smoking.
It is therefore understood that the therapeutic action of this remarkable remedy, used by adults as a treatment of attack in
3 x 2 capsules per day, before meals, during eight days, followed by 3 x 1 capsules during fifteen days. For babies and children, the dose is halved.
"The last but not least" of this remedy costs around a dollar a day of treatment.
In conclusion, I simply say: when an ill person suffers, firstly assure yourself that he is not lacking in sulphur. It is not just a simple play on words - I see illnesses everyday in my consulting room. Try, like myself, starting by asking the Lefevre laboratory to send you an actual up-to-date scientific document and go to your nearest library get a book on alchemy.