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What is iodine?
Published in Tatsuo Kaiho, Iodine Made Simple, 2017
From ancient times, seaweed ash has been used as an ingredient for glass and fertilizers in the Brittany and Normandy regions of northwest France. In particular, during the Napoleonic Wars in the early nineteenth century, saltpeter (potassium nitrate, KNO3), a component of gunpowder, was widely manufactured from seaweed, which is a souse of potassium. When manufacturing saltpeter, Bernard Courtois, a chemist, added too much sulfuric acid to seaweed ash, causing the iodine to evaporate and creating iodine crystals. To this day, the historic ruins of a stone seaweed incinerator can be seen in Brittany. Furthermore a monument to the discovery of iodine and buildings of the old iodine factory can be seen near the coast.
Pain Management with Regenerative Injection Therapy
Published in Mark V. Boswell, B. Eliot Cole, Weiner's Pain Management, 2005
Felix S. Linetsky, Richard Derby, Rafael Miguel, Lloyd Saberski, Michael Stanton-Hicks
Regenerative injection therapy (RIT), also known as prolotherapy or sclerotherapy, is one of the long-practiced methods of pain management. It was originally described by Celsus for treatment of hydroceles, with injections of saltpeter (Hoch, 1939; Linetsky, 1999a). From inception to date, the general principles of injection techniques and differential diagnosis employed in RIT are those advocated by American Academy of Pain Management, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, International Spinal Injection Society, and the International Association for the Study of Pain (Aprill et al., 1990; Bogduk, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1996, 1997; Bogduk et al., 1996b; Bonica, 1990; Derby, 2002; Manchikanti, 2002; Merskey & Bogduk, 1994; Steindler, 1938). The difference is that painful chronic tissue bed pathology is the primary target for differential diagnosis and therapeutic application of RIT. Response to the blocks and nerve supply to the tissue are continuously taken into account during procedure. Differential diagnosis encompasses a wide variety of painful tissue including large synovial joints with their components and extends beyond the spinal segmental innervation (Cyriax, 1969, 1982; Dorman, 1993; Dorman et al., 1991; Hackett et al., 1991; Linetsky et al., 2002a, b, c; Ombregt et al., 1995; Waldman, 1998).
Bringing It Home
Published in Kerry Hughes, The Incense Bible, 2014
You may also make incense cones or sticks (or other forms) by putting together four basic materials into an incense mixture that can be formed. This is not meant to be a guide for doing it yourself, only a simplified outline of the process, and more can be learned by purchasing other incense books. The four basic materials are as follows: The scent. The first step is to decide what kind of aromatic substance you would like to give the mixture its characteristic odor or qualities. Herbs, spices, and resins may all be used. Chapter 4 gives more information on single forms of incense.The base or chemical burning agent. The next step is to choose the base for helping the mixture to burn evenly and easily. Some bases have a scent, and some have no scent whatsoever. Bases can be chosen to interact with the aromatic substances in the incense and can balance the aroma of the main scented herbs/resins that are too strong by themselves. A base can make the aromatic portion of the incense milder, less bitter, and less pungent in order to make an even-burning and good scent. Popular bases include mixtures of wood powders, sandalwood, vetiver, evergreen needles, and willow. In either case, the base should be ground to a fine powder. Talc is sometimes added to the base in order to lengthen the burning time. Saltpeter, also called potassium nitrate (sometime also sodium nitrate is used), is one of the drawbacks of using a blended incense cone or stick, as nearly all contain saltpeter in order to help them burn. Saltpeter should not be added directly as a powder; it needs to be dissolved in a liquid (see number 4) so that it can be more evenly distributed in the incense so as not to cause flare-ups, or burnouts. Natural alternatives to saltpeter are available, but rare. I have never experienced this myself, but others explain that if the exact right mixture of resins and woods are put together in making a combustible incense formula, sometimes it will burn without saltpeter.Bonding gum/agent. In order to pull together the aromatic portion and the base, a bonding gum is needed. Typical gums that are useful for this purpose are agar agar, ghatti gum, guar gum, gum Arabic, locust bean gum, karaya, tragacanth, sodium alginate, and xanthan gum.Liquid. In order to turn the bonding agent into a glue, a form of liquid, such as water, is needed. However, a number of substances can be used, including wine, brandy, rose water, and olive oil.
Multi-parametric groundwater quality and human health risk assessment vis-à-vis hydrogeochemical process in an Agri-intensive region of Indus basin, Punjab, India
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022
Vijay Jaswal, Ravishankar Kumar, Prafulla Kumar Sahoo, Sunil Mittal, Ajay Kumar, Sunil Kumar Sahoo, Yogalakshmi Kadapakkam Nandabalan
The study area comprises of a flat alluvial plain that belongs to the Indo-Gangetic alluvium formed during the quaternary period of geological time scale. The whole district is divided into three terrains Satluj floodplain, sand-dune-infested tract and upland plain (MSME 2020 ). Sandy clay with saltpeter encrustations and clay with sporadic sandy nodules are recognized as the major geological formations. Saltpetre contains a significant amount of potassium and sodium nitrate, unlike chloride, sulfate, and carbonate present in minor fractions. The northern part of the study area possesses sierozem soil, while the southern part consists of sandy soils. Fazilka district is drained by two major rivers, Sutlej in the west and Beas in the north. Phidda drain, Taroori drain, Chand Bhan drain and Sem Nala are the other natural drainages that carry rainwater. Groundwater occurs in both unconfined and confined conditions. The detailed geological map of the study area is provided in Supplementary data (Supplementary Figure S1).
Leg ulceration with histological features of pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Published in Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 2021
Usman Asad, Sheevam Shah, Palak Parekh
PXE-like elastic fibers have also been seen in patients with calciphylaxis.1 However, these fibers tend to be straight with transverse fractures, unlike the crinkled-looking fibers seen in PXE. Often, they are accompanied by luminal thrombi and calcification of vessel walls.1 Lupus-associated renal failure, idiopathic hypercalcemia with secondary calcinosis cutis, necrobiosis lipoidica, exposure to saltpeter, and osteoectasia are other documented conditions of abnormal calcium metabolism showing histological findings of PXE without clinical manifestations.5–8 Hypotheses have included an atypical form of PXE being a predisposing factor to the development of calciphylaxis and chronically elevated levels of calcium saturate fibrillin leading to calcification and fragmentation of elastic fibers. The calcification observed in our patient may also have simply been due to chronic inflammation (dystrophic calcification).