Originally published in French, this updated and expanded English translation offers a definitive treatment on clays and effects on human health including the long history of clays used as pharmaceutical and therapeutic agents, the origins of clays, their structural properties and modes of action.

This book provides a comprehensive description of the application of clay minerals as disinfectants and the ingredients of medicines. While the presently available literature highlights one or two aspects of medicinal clays, a comprehensive text on all their major pharmaceutical applications is lacking. This book endeavors to fill up this lacuna. It further elucidates the properties of clay minerals that facilitate their application in the protection of human health, and how these properties are related to the chemical compositions and internal structures of selected mineral groups, thus revealing to the students, teachers and researchers the underlying relationship of seemingly different disciplines like mineralogy, material science and medical science. The thought-provoking questions added at the end of each chapter will give the readers a better insight of this subject. The tangible definitions and explanations of all the relevant scientific terms provided in this book, both within the text and in a glossary list at the end, are expected to help the beginners to develop a clear-cut understanding regarding different aspects of the subject and clear any confusion resulting from the ambiguous usage of terms in the existing literature.

The latest edition of this classic, definitive reference work for all those involved in environmental health, is opened by a new chapter which discusses the changing approaches to Environmental Health. There are other new chapters on risk assessment and the epidemiology of non-infectious diseases with new introductory chapters both for food safety and occupational health and safety which place those activities into the rapidly changing conceptual and organisational contexts. There is additional work on meat hygiene to highlight developments in that area and substantial material on the enforcement function and on air pollution. There are also new organisational case studies.

Far Infrared Clay detox wraps are part of a treatment range developed by Galina St George. They combine healing powers of clays and far-infrared heat, to promote detoxification of the body. The use of Far Infrared promotes sweating and expulsion of toxins from the body, while clay pulls toxins out of the body thanks to a phenomenon called cation exchange. This makes detoxification a much faster process. Healing claysClays have been used to treat various health problems since prehistoric times.  If we look at animals rolling in muds and clays, and try to understand why they do it, we will learn to understand why humans have been drawn to clay, and what they would have used it for. Clays have been traditionally used to heal wounds, infections, eruptions, get rid of parasites, to neutralise toxins in cases of food poisoning, diarrhoea, as a natural pain relief substance, and even to decontaminate drinking water. Clays are used by natural health practitioners to promote detoxification and general healing. They are highly sorbent, which helps to absorb harmful substances and toxins - especially green illite clay. Another very important property of clays is cation exchange - the ability of clay to replace available ions found in their structure for cations of external matter. This process works like a magnet and allows for cations heavy metals to be drawn into the clay structure. This is the basic idea of how a detoxification process works. Far Infrared Heat The numerous healing properties of the Far-Infrared blanket are based on a simple spectrum of rays invisible to us – far-infrared rays. 80% of the total energy produced by the sun consists of Far Infrared rays. Unlike near-infrared rays which only heat up the surface, far-infrared rays penetrate deep into the tissues stimulating a whole range of activities. The great news is that the body produces far-infrared energy naturally. When the body is healthy it produces sufficient amounts of this energy which helps the body cells and organs to function to their full capacity. However, when the production of this energy is low, our bodies begin to suffer from energy deficiency, and we succumb to all sorts of ailments. Boosting the body systems with infrared light from outside is like giving water to a thirsty man. It gives energy to all the body cells, thus stimulating their activity, and this, in turn, kick-starts healing processes from the inside and general recovery. We can feel the far-infrared energy as a slow-acting deep heat. It gets deep into the body boosting the energy of every cell, widening blood capillaries, stimulating circulation and boosting all the body systems. Following are some of the effects of the FIR Clay Detox Wrap: - Detoxification from heavy metals - Detoxification from organic toxins - Cellular rejuvenation - Skin cleansing and rejuvenation - Reduced fatigue - Reduction in muscle tension - Improved joint mobility - Raised energy levels - Improved immunity - Reduction in water retention - Reduction in aches and pains. This treatment can be done both by therapists on paying clients and by anyone on themselves. If you are a therapist and would like to qualify to treat your clients, get in touch with us at purenaturecures.com.

Medical Geology The key to understanding the relationship between the geological environment and human health Medical geology deals with of the impact of environmental factors on the health of individual human beings and communities. In particular, it studies environmental exposure to both macro- and micronutrients in the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere—respectively, soil, water, and airborne dust—which may positively or negatively impact human growth, development, and overall health. The insights contributed by this burgeoning field can aid not only in individual medical cases, but also in assessing disproportionately impacted communities and addressing global medical inequality. Medical Geology: En route to One Health is among the first books to address this vital subject by summarizing recent research in this field. It also serves as an introduction to the multidisciplinary One Health methodology, which unites medical, geological, and environmental insights in one continuous approach to public health. Medical Geology readers will also find: An explanation of the influence of the environment on nutrient availability Case studies of well-documented links between endemic diseases and environmental conditions A systematic analysis of the causes of essential element deficiencies in different world regions Medical Geology is an essential overview of the field, for advanced students as well as medical, environmental, or geological researchers who wish to understand the complex relationship between the geological environment and human health.

Of unique interest to the student of nineteenth century America is this account of the Alabama Clays, who in their private life were typical of the slaveholding aristocracy of the old South, but as lawyer-politicians played significant roles in state and national politics, in the development of the Democratic party, and in the affairs of the Confederacy. In the period from 1811 to 1915, the Clays were involved in many of the great problems confronting the South. This study of the Clay family includes accounts of the wartime legislation of the Confederate Congress and the activities of the Confederate Commission in Canada. Equally interesting to many readers will be the intimate view of social life in ante-bellum Washington and the story of the domestic struggles of a plantation family during and after the war, as revealed through the letters of Clement Claiborne Clay and his wife Virginia.

This book on Applied Clay Mineralogy is comprehensive. It covers the structure, composition, and physical and chemical properties of kaolinite, halloysite, ball clays; bentonites including sodium montmorillonite, calcium montmorillonite, and hectorite; and palygorskite and sepiolite. There is also a short chapter on common clays which are used for making structural clay products and lightweight aggregate. The location and geology of the major clay deposits that are marketed worldwide and regionally include kaolins from the United States, Southwest England, Brazil, and the Czech Republic along with halloysite from New Zealand and ball clays from the US, England, Germany, and Ukraine. Bentonites from the U.S. and Europe are included along with palygorskite and sepiolite from the U.S., China, Senegal, and Spain. The mining and processing of the various clays are described. Extensive discussions of the many applications of the clays are included. The appendices cover the important laboratory tests that are used to identify and evaluate the various types of clay. Many figures are included covering electron micrographs, processing flow sheets, stratigraphy, and location maps. * Provides the structure and composition of clay minerals, as well as their phyisical and chemical properties * Discusses pplications for Kaolin, Bentonite, Palygorskite and Sepiolite * Contains appendixes of laboratory tests and procedures, as well as a test for common clays

Soil MineralOrganic MatterMicroorganism Interactions and Ecosystem Health presents up-to-date information on the dynamics, transformations and bioavailability of xenobiotics in soil and their impact on ecosystem health, the ecological significance of interactions of metals and metalloids with soil colloids, enzymes and microbial biomass and the role of minerals-organic matter - soil biota interactions in the restoration of perturbed ecosystems. The title comprises two volumes: Volume A: Dynamics, Mobility and Transformation of Pollutants and Nutrients. Volume B: Ecological Significance of the Interactions mong Clay Minerals, Organic Matter and Soil Biota. This title could serve as a basic reference for students, teachers, and researchers by providing in-depth knowledge of the current state of the art in a particular area of soil science.

This book is an attempt to provide a comprehensive and coherent description of three widely separated aspects of clays: the science of clays; the industrial uses of clays; and the role of clays in the environment. Most of the existing literature lacks such an integrated study and this work endeavours to fill that gap. An exhaustive account of the science of clays is presented in Part I of the book, which includes the classification, origin and evolution, composition and internal structure, chemical and physical properties of clays; soil mechanics; and analytical techniques for determining clay constituents. Part II provides a comprehensive description of the applications of clays and their derivatives in various industries, while Part III describes the role of clays in the environment; the pollution caused by clay minerals; and the application of clays in order to prevent environmental hazards. A principal feature of the book is its explanation of how the structure and composition of particular clay types facilitate their specific industrial or environmental applications, thus describing the interrelationship between three widely varying aspects of clay. A number of thought-provoking questions are raised at the end of the work in order to leave readers with a better insight in this regard.

This book includes recent advances in the use of clays in the design of medicinal products and medicinal devices. The pharmaceutical applications of nanoclays are far ranging, because of their distinct advantages: they are versatile (possess a wide range of mechanical, chemical and physical properties) and available at reasonable costs. Some special clays (mainly kaolinite, halloysite, montmorillonite, saponite, hectorite, palygorskite and sepiolite), as well as semi-synthetic (organoclays) or synthetic (double layer hydroxides) derivatives, are very useful materials for modulating drug delivery. In the last decade, several actives have been loaded onto nanoclays and similar inorganic excipients to increase solubility, improve stability, reduce toxicity, and enhance bioavailability, with a consequent increase in therapeutic response. Polymer/clay nanocomposites with synergic properties have been developed, showing improved mechanical properties with respect to the pristine polymer matrices and allowing modified release of loaded actives. Moreover, nanoclays have very recently demonstrated positive effects on the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts. The development of clay-based medicinal products and medicinal devices requires experience in the fields of both clay structure and properties and pharmaceutical technology design.