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Bless This Boggy Book How do bogs keep things fresh?
By Daniel Engber
Posted Friday, July 28, 2006, at 6:50 PM ET
A construction worker discovered an ancient book of psalms while excavating an Irish bog last Thursday. Ireland's National Museum has called it "a miracle find" and labeled the 1,200-year-old tome the "Irish equivalent to the Dead Sea Scrolls." How could the book have survived for so many years in a bog?
Some Peat bogs happen to be excellent at preserving organic matter. Bits of animal skin—like the vellum pages upon which the ancient psalter was written—can last for hundreds or thousands of years when they get trapped under the surface of peat at the top of a bog. That's because they're exposed to an acidic environment with lots of sphagnum moss and very little oxygen. These factors make life very hard for the microbes that would otherwise cause rotting and decomposition.
The sphagnum moss produces an antibiotic substance called sphagnan that staves off rot in several ways. First, it binds with proteins on the surface of microorganisms in a way that immobilizes them and removes them from the water. Second, its highly reactive carbonyl groups can alter the chemicals and nutrients that would be necessary for the decomposition of a piece of organic matter. Third, the sphagnum moss causes the organic matter to undergo certain chemical changes that make it more impervious to rot—in much the same way that animal skins can be preserved as leather.
The peculiar properties of these bogs have made them invaluable archaeological repositories. More than 1,000 specimens of well-preserved human remains have been found under beds of peat moss. These "bog bodies" can retain their key features for thousands of years. In many cases the chemicals in the bog break down the skeleton and leave only the soft tissue. The tanning reactions from the sphagnum moss give the skin on these remains their characteristic dark-brown color.
Among the bog bodies, the most famous is the Tollund Man of Denmark.He died in about 350 B.C., but you can still see the stubble on his chin, and the rope that killed him remains tied around his neck. The Lindow Man, who was found in England in 1984, still has a beard and a mustache.
Hot Baths - You may have noted throughout this website that we keep suggesting starting with a series of 21 baths. This is in keeping with the recommendations of Otto Stober - the father of modern moor research and treatments. “A single bath has only a small effect. Success is brought about only by the sum of the stimulations induced by the individual baths. Therefore, it is necessary that the baths are regularly taken every day or every second day, as otherwise there is no optimal effect”. Baths should be taken at approx 98.6 oF / 37 oC for 20-25 minutes directly followed by resting (well covered) for 30 minutes. So take your bath just before bedtime and sleep like a baby! Be sure not to rinse off or shower after bathing - don’t worry you won’t be muddy nor gritty - and the moor keeps working it’s magic for an hour or two after exiting the bathtub. (Check with your doctor before taking hot baths - especially if you have high blood pressure, are feverish, pregnant, or are younger than 12 yrs old)
Moor Mud and Sex? - Studies (Langendorfer at Franzenbad) have shown that a therapy of alternating warm Moor Mud packs and cool Moor Baths have been effective in improving the sexual life of women by increasing desire, reducing discomfort during coitus, improving orgasmic response, and in some cases, reducing infertility. Talk about a win-win situation for everyone.
Speaking of Hormones - We’re all aware that fluctuating hormone levels (PMS, Menupause, etc) can lead to irritability, hot flashes, nervousness, headaches, psychic depressions, feelings of anguish, fatigue, restless sleep, mood-fluctuations, and many other delightful feelings. Consider that occurring in Moor Mud there is not only the hormones so extremely important to the male and female hormone-household but a whole moor-bouquet of natural healing factors. So effective is the hormone balancing effect of Moor treatments, that many report a great diminishing of undesirable sensations and an increased feeling of general well-being. Many have started with a series of Moor Baths and the Moor/Nutrimoor drink supplement.
Heartburn - Is a danger signal usually indicating too much or too little gastric acid. (check with your doctor to tell for sure which it is). Many pills, tablets, and other antacid substances assume over-acidity and work to neutralize or disarm the acid. Used over time, and the body ever needing these gastric juices for digestion - produces more acid thus requiring stronger antacids and so on.
The natural-chemical and bacterial healing substances and active elements present in the Moor/Nutrimoor drink are correctly offered in the proper form that hardly any other remedy is as qualified to relieve heartburn. So please pass the Tabasco sauce.
