The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (35 page)

Abortifacient:
capable of inducing abortion.

Absolute:
a highly concentrated viscous, semi-solid or solid perfume material, usually obtained by alcohol extraction from the concrete.

Acrid:
leaving a burning sensation in the mouth.

Aerophagy:
swallowing of air.

Allergy:
hypersensitivity caused by a foreign substance, small doses of which produce a violent bodily reaction.

Alliaceous:
garlic or onionlike.

Alopecia:
baldness, loss of hair.

Alterative:
corrects disordered bodily function.

Amenorrhoea:
absence of menstruation.

Amoebicidal:
a substance with the power of destroying amoebae.

Anaemia:
deficiency in either quality or quantity of red corpuscles in the blood.

Anaemic:
relating to anaemia, caused by or suffering from anaemia.

Anaesthetic:
loss of feeling or sensation; substance which causes such a loss.

Analgesic:
remedy or agent which deadens pain.

Anaphrodisiac:
reduces sexual desire.

Annual:
refers to a plant which completes its life cycle in one year.

Anodyne:
stills pain and quiets disturbed feelings.

Anorexia:
condition of being without, or having lost the appetite for food.

Anthelmintic:
a vermifuge, destroying or expelling intestinal worms.

Anti-anaemic:
an agent which combats anaemia.

Anti-arthritic:
an agent which combats arthritis.

Antibilious:
an agent which helps remove excess bile from the body.

Antibiotic:
prevents the growth of, or destroys, bacteria.

Anticatarrhal:
an agent which helps remove excess catarrh from the body.

Anticonvulsant:
helps arrest or prevent convulsions.

Antidepressant:
helps alleviate depression.

Antidiarrhoeal:
efficacious against diarrhoea.

Anti-emetic:
an agent which reduces the incidence and severity of nausea or vomiting.

Antihaemorrhagic:
an agent which prevents or combats haemorrhage or bleeding.

Antihistamine:
treats allergic conditions; counteracts effects of histamine (which produces capillary dilation and, in larger doses, haemoconcentration).

Anti-inflammatory:
alleviates inflammation.

Antilithic:
prevents the formation of a calculus or stone.

Antimicrobial:
an agent which resists or destroys pathogenic micro-organisms.

Antineuralgic:
relieves or reduces nerve pain.

Antioxidant:
a substance used to prevent or delay oxidation or deterioration, especially with exposure to air.

Antiphlogistic:
checks or counteracts inflammation.

Antipruritic:
relieves sensation of itching or prevents its occurrence.

Antiputrescent:
an agent which prevents and combats decay or putrefaction.

Antipyretic:
reduces fever;
see also
febrifuge.

Antirheumatic:
helps prevent and relieve rheumatism.

Antisclerotic:
helps prevent the hardening of tissue.

Antiscorbutic:
a remedy for scurvy.

Antiscrofula:
combats the development of tuberculosis of lymph nodes (scrofula).

Antiseborrhoeic:
helps control the production of sebum, the oily secretion from sweat glands.

Antiseptic:
destroys and prevents the development of microbes.

Antispasmodic:
prevents and eases spasms or convulsions.

Antitoxic:
an antidote or treatment that counteracts the effects of poison.

Antitussive:
relieves coughs.

Antiviral:
substance which inhibits the growth of a virus.

Aperient:
a mild laxative.

Aphonia:
loss of voice.

Aperitif:
a stimulant of the appetite.

Aphrodisiac:
increases or stimulates sexual desire.

Apoplexy:
sudden loss of consciousness, a stroke or sudden severe haemorrhage.

Aril:
the husk or membrane covering the seed of a plant.

Aromatherapy:
the therapeutic use of essential oils.

Aromatic:
a substance with a strong aroma or smell.

Arteriosclerosis:
loss of elasticity in the walls of the arteries due to thickening and calcification.

Arthritis:
inflammation of a joint or joints.

Asthenia:
see
debility.

Astringent:
causes contraction of organic tissues.

Atony:
lessening or lack of muscular tone or tension.

Axil:
upper angle between a stem and leaf or bract.

Bactericidal:
an agent that destroys bacteria (a type of microbe or organism).

Balsam:
a resinous semi-solid mass or viscous liquid exuded from a plant, which can be either a
pathological or physiological product. A ‘true’ balsam is characterized by its high content of benzoic acid, benzoates, cinnamic acid or cinnamates.

Balsamic:
a soothing medicine or application having the qualities of a balsam.

Bechic:
anything which relieves or cures coughs; or referring to cough.

Biennial:
a plant which completes its life cycle in two years, without flowering in the first year.

Bilious:
a condition caused by an excessive secretion of bile.

Bitter:
a tonic component which stimulates the appetite and promotes the secretion of saliva and gastric juices by exciting the taste buds.

Blenorrhoea:
abnormally free secretion and discharge of mucus, sometimes from the genitals (as in gonorrhoea).

Blepharitis:
inflammation of the eyelids.

Calculus:
a solid pathological concentration (or ‘stone’), usually of inorganic matter in a matrix of protein and pigment, formed in any part of the body.

Calmative:
a sedative.

Calyx:
the sepals or outer layer of floral leaves. Capsule: a dry fruit, opening when ripe, composed of more than one carpel.

Cardiac:
pertaining to the heart.

Cardiotonic:
having a stimulating effect on the heart.

Carminative:
settles the digestive system, relieves flatulence.

Catarrh:
inflammation of mucous membranes, usually associated with an increase in secretion of mucus.

Cathartic:
purgative, capable of causing a violent purging or catharsis of the body.

Cellulite:
accumulation of toxic matter in the form of fat in the tissue.

Cephalic:
remedy for disorders of the head; referring or directed towards the head.

Cerebral:
pertaining to the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum.

Chemotype:
the same botanical species occurring in other forms due to different conditions of growth, such as climate, soil, altitude, etc.

Chlorosis:
a form of anaemia rarely encountered nowadays.

Cholagogue:
stimulates the secretion and flow of bile into the duodenum.

Cholecystokinetic:
agent which stimulates the contraction of the gall bladder.

Choleretic:
aids excretion of bile by the liver, so there is a greater flow of bile.

Cholesterol:
a steroid alcohol found in nervous tissue, red blood cells, animal fat and bile. Excess can lead to gallstones.

Cicatrisant:
an agent which promotes healing by the formation of scar tissue.

Cirrhosis:
degenerative change in any organ (especially liver), caused by various poisons, bacteria or other agents, resulting in fibrous tissue overgrowth.

Colic:
pain due to contraction of the involuntary muscle of the abdominal organs.

Colitis:
inflammation of the colon.

Compress:
a lint or substance applied hot or cold to an area of the body, for relief of swelling and pain, or to produce localized pressure.

Concrete:
a concentrated, waxy, solid or semi-solid perfume material prepared from previously live plant matter, usually using a hydrocarbon type of solvent.

Constipation:
congestion of the bowels; incomplete or infrequent action of bowels.

Contagious disease:
a disease spreading from person to person by direct contact. Cordial: a stimulant and tonic.

Corolla:
the petals of a flower considered as a whole.

Counter-irritant:
applications to the skin which relieve deep-seated pain, usually applied in the form of heat;
see also
rubefacient.

Cutaneous:
pertaining to the skin.

Cystitis:
bladder inflammation, usually characterized by pain on urinating.

Cytophylactic:
referring to cytophylaxis – the process of increasing the activity of leucocytes in defence of the body against infection.

Cytotoxic:
toxic to all cells.

Debility:
weakness, lack of tone.

Decoction:
a herbal preparation, where the plant material (usually hard or woody) is boiled in water and reduced to make a concentrated extract.

Decongestive:
an agent for the relief or reduction of congestion, e.g. mucous.

Demulcent:
a substance which protects mucous membranes and allays irritation.

Depurative:
helps combat impurity in the blood and organs; detoxifying.

Deodorant:
an agent which corrects, masks or removes unpleasant odours.

Dermal:
pertaining to the skin.

Dermatitis:
inflammation of the skin; many causes.

Diaphoretic:
see
sudorific.

Diarrhoea:
frequent passage of unformed liquid stools.

Digestive:
substance which promotes or aids the digestion of food.

Disinfectant:
prevents and combats the spread of germs.

Diuretic:
aids production of urine, promotes urination, increases flow.

Dropsy:
excess of fluid in the tissues;
see also
oedema.

Drupe:
a fleshy fruit, with one or more seeds, each surrounded bt a stony layer.

Dysmenorrhoea:
painful and difficult menstruation.

Dyspepsia:
difficulty with digestion associated with pain, flatulence, heartburn and nausea.

Elliptical:
shaped like an ellipse, or regular curve.

Emetic:
induces vomiting.

Emmenagogue:
induces or assists menstruation.

Emollient:
softens and soothes the skin.

Emphysema:
condition in which the alveoli of the lungs are dilated, or an abnormal amount of air is present in tissues of body cavities.

Engorgement:
congestion of a part of the tissues, or fullness (as in the breasts).

Enteritis:
inflammation of the mucous membrane of the intestine.

Enzyme:
complex proteins that are produced by living cells, and catalyse specific biochemical reactions.

Erythema:
a superficial redness of the skin due to excess of blood.

Essential oil:
a volatile and aromatic liquid (sometimes semi-solid) which generally constitutes the odorous principles of a plant. It is obtained by a process of expression or distillation from a single botanical form or species.

Expectorant:
helps promote the removal of mucous from the respiratory system.

Febrifuge:
combats fever.

Fixative:
a material which slows down the rate of evaporation of the more volatile components in a perfume composition.

Fixed oil:
a name given to vegetable oils obtained from plants which, in contradistinction to essential oils, are fatty, dense and non-volatile, such as olive or sweet almond oil.

Florets:
the small individual flowers in the flowerheads of the Compositae family.

Follicle:
a dry, one celled, many-seeded fruit.

Fungicidal:
prevents and combats fungal infection.

Galactagogue:
increases secretion of milk.