My Dream Last Night

My dreams are incredible.

Last night I was driving an old friends fast car Hilman Imp, that was race tuned, a car we used to pile in and wreak havoc hammering it around sharp bends with an 8 track stereo belting out Deep Purple, David Bowie, Erick Clapton and Led Zeplain. But the car was not mine, it belonged to another good friend Terry Richards. Are kids today any worse than we were?

I was belting up a hill which was familiar when a capri behind me was flashing me down and sounding the horn. When the driver got out, he come over to me and said; "Hey Andy long time no see how you doing? And how come your driving this? I thought you drove a merc? (Joey Round, known to some friends as Squary, but to me Joey) Me and Joey go right back to childhood, born in same rough old Longbank road in Oakham, Joey was a great bloke and always looked out for us younger kids.

I said to Joey, you are supposed to be dead? He said don't be daft, laughing in his usual way and we talked about his supposedly being dead. I even told him I had seen the death certificate. I then said the merc is back at home with an old Austin, Later we were in the pub with friends laughing with Joey and me saying he was dead, when clearly I was mistaken. I also met Jackie Nash, his wife who he divorced, also a very good friend and was telling her about Joey and how he was very much alive. The dream lasted for a very long time.

I was not thinking of him or Jackie or anyone in particular when I went to bed, or indeed had I thought about either of them for a long time.

During the dream, I even realised I had made a serious error on facebook Tividale Comprehensive School site adding RIP to his name and to many other damned good friends that died far too young, and needed to go back to the site and change it asap.
Jackie died of cancer a few years ago :(
Joey died of cancer in the throat a few years back :cry:

I have no reason why this dream was triggered but writing this and telling my wife about it is making my hairs stand on end, it was very lucid and beautiful and did not feel at all like a dream.

We can learn a lot from our dreams, but would need to find out how different brain activity is on Inclined Therapy. Alas, we would need the use of a sleep centre to determine what's happening in the brain activity at night compared to flat bedrest.

I believe that the brain needs good circulation of cerebrospinal fluid and bloodflow to organise and recall these memories. But this was much more than a memory recalled, it was truly astonishing and vivid.

I believe also, based on what happened to the girl with cerebral palsy in Kent, who walked at school for the very first time after around 8 months of Inclined Therapy and many more reports of memory improvements, that the brain uses the direction of gravity to improve circulation and restore supposedly irreversible damage.

Inclinedtherapy I.T. New Group on Facebook

A new group has been set up to discuss the merits of sleeping Inclined by raising the head of the bed six inches or 15 cm’s. Now called Inclined Therapy or I.T.

16 years of research have provided us with concrete evidence that the human body benefits from avoiding flat bed rest! Come and check us out.
Andrew K Fletcher
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=245324668896

Flat Bed Rest The truth is out there!

Someone else has done a search to compare bedrest publications and found the same damning evidence that I did all those years ago.

I suggest you download the pdf and read the whole paper and if you are still unconvinced about the validity of Inclined Therapy, I suggest you conduct your own search of the published papers.





Bed rest: a potentially harmful treatment needing more careful
evaluation
Chris Allen, Paul Glasziou, Chris Del Mar

Ideas about bed rest seem so entrenched that medical
practice has been slow to change—even when faced with
evidence of ineffectiveness. For example, a study of
protocols used after spinal puncture in 1998 found that
more than 80% of neurological units in the UK still
insist on bed rest" despite evidence from 17 years earlier
that bed rest has no value." There are also reports that
bed rest is still being over-prescribed after myocardial
infarction and cardiac catheterisation, and for acute low
back pain."-"
Bed rest after myocardial infarction was prescribed on
the basis of theoretical evidence of the supposed
workload put on the heart, and circumstantial evidence
on the appearance of old and new infarcts."" The value
of bed rest was questioned in 1938 because during the
2 months of forced bed rest more patients died of
pulmonary infarction, uraemia, and pneumonia than of
cardiac complications." Despite recommendations in
1944 for the period of bed rest to be cut to 2 weeks,'"
6 years later standard clinical practice still prescribed
4 weeks or more of bed rest.'' Since that time; largescale
clinical trials have shown that bed rest is
unnecessary,'"''^'''' and one showed that there is
significant danger associated with hospital bed rest after
myocardial infarction.™ In current clinical practice" only
12 h of bed rest is prescibed, with ambuiation in the
ward by day 3.
Rest is often imposed by symptoms (mainly weakness)
rather than the physician, and in that case there is little
choice. We have to distinguish the use of bed rest in the
management of those symptoms (palliation) from its use
to speed recovery (prescribed treatment). Perhaps the
patient is the best judge of the amount of rest required.
Advice given in 1944 seems curiously apt today, "The
physician must always consider complete bed rest as a
highly unphysiologic and definitely hazardous form of
therapy, to be ordered only for specific indications and
discontinued as early as possible".* The indications for
which bed rest should be prescribed, and for how long,
are yet to be defined.
Contributors
Chris Allen did the searches, assembled and analysed the tables, and
wrote the first draft. Paul Glasziou was responsible for the idea and
extracted and analysed the data for the tables. Chris Del Mar concieved
the idea and wrote subsequent drafts.

Effect of head up tilt on cerebral circulation.

Acta Astronaut. 1994 Jul;33:69-76.
Effect of head up tilt on cerebral circulation.

Yoshimoto S, Ueno T, Mayanagi Y, Sekiguchi C, Yumikura S, Miyamoto A, Yajima K.

Dept. of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Police Hospital, Japan.

This study was performed to study the effect of the head up tilt (HUT) on cerebral circulation across the time course (60 degrees HUT for 15 minutes) and across the different angles of HUT (15, 30, 45, 60 degrees HUT for 15 minutes). Cerebral circulation was continuously monitored during 15 minutes of HUT by the carotid Doppler flow meter, the transcranial Doppler flow meter, and the near infra-red spectrophotometer. The results show that the cerebral blood flow decreased during HUT and that the cerebral blood volume decreased initially and then gradually increased. And the magnitude of the effect may have the relationship with the angles of the HUT.

PMID: 11539540 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Why raise the bed six inches at the head end for Inclined Therapy?

An experiment was performed to determine the optimum angle for circulation.

Using a closed water filled loop of tubing with coloured salt solution added at the pillow end and the loop stretched down the bed, the bed was elevated.

The lower elevations in the range of 4-4.5 inches resulted in the salt flowing down one side and the clean water flowing back up the same side. 2 directional flow in one tube while fascinating to watch was not the desired effect.

After raising the bed to 5 inches the downward flow was in the salt added side representing the arteries and the return flow was in the opposite salt-free side representing the venous return or indeed the return flow of the cerebrospinal fluid system or the return flow of the lymphatic system.

this return flow and return is under tension and was observed using soft walled silicon tubing showing clearly how the solutes affect the pressure of the water molecules.

The downward flowing side clearly bulged outwards under the positive pressure induced by gravity, while the return flow water only side was pulled in, indicating that the molecules were placed under tension by the gravity affect on the salt dissolved in water.

Over time this has been born out by many people sleeping inclined, while a 4 inch incline is better than sleeping flat, a 6 inch / 15 cm raise producing a five degree to the horizontal on a 75 inch long bed.

Fascinating history of the bed reveals that the oldest beds know from the ancient Egyptians some 4 thousand years ago were raised by exactly 6 inches at the head end according to a curator of a museum in Boston. USA.

Question is how did they know? Did they observe animals sleeping on an incline and imitated them and then find the benefits? We will never know but it is intriguing.

A Brief explanation of Inclined Therapy

Thanks for experimenting with your bed and deciding to take this further.
This discovery is about density changes in the body fluids from evaporation at the surface of the lungs, sinuses, mouth, throat, nasal cavities skin, eyes and hair follicles.

Any density change at one pint will cause the denser fluids to migrate through the circulation towards the point of exit. The point of exit is predominantly in the urine. To test this a hydrometer was used to test the density / specific gravity of urine produced by my wife (bless her) and me sleeping head down 5 degrees, horizontal, and head up 5 degrees, testing every time we produced urine.

What we found confirmed the theory spectacularly. Flat bed rest lowered the density of urine compared to inclined or head up bed rest, which markedly increased the urine density over normal daily activity. But sleeping head down was stunning. The results with the hydrometer showed that sleeping at a five degree to the horizontal head down angle our urine density over several nights fell to near water density. In other words the dissolved salts, metals, and sugars that normally were excreted in the urine were remaining in the body.

We both developed diarrhoea sleeping upside down or inverted, indicating that our digestive systems were not functioning properly either, the whole experience of inverting for several days was uncomfortable, resulted in headaches, a sense of pressure and a most uncomfortable night, but in the interest of science it needed to be conducted so we did it.

Dissolved solutes in the arteries not the veins move from source of concentration for example the lungs to a sink in this case the kidneys, which filter the solutes from the blood before it enters the return flow in the veins. The denser filtered fluid is then passed into the bladder and excreted in the urine.

The less dense blood can now be pulled back towards the heart from the dragging of solutes or blood molecules that flow down. (for every action there must be an equal and opposing reaction) We cannot say that blood flows down the body towards the feet. This is not possible without it causing the return flow!

Providing the return flow is always less dense than the downward flow the solutes move in the direction of gravity and assist circulation and in doing so ease the burden on the heart. (The opposite to what will be read in the literature).

The literature also recommends raising the legs to address oedema or fluid retention and / or varicose veins.

Clearly from the photographic evidence provided we can see that varicose veins are returned to normal looking veins sleeping on an inclined bed, which fits precisely with the experiment models shown on Youtube and with this new understanding of circulation, yet it contradicts the advice of the physiology literature leaving it in dire need of revision.

Several people during the early pilot studies reported hard lumps in their legs (thrombosis) vanishing without trace. This was verified when an elderly lady who was known to us showed the lump in her leg and on examination after several months the lump was gone..

Again proving that the circulation had increased and the blockage must have been resolved by the improvements in circulation.

Many people reported an increase in warmth compared to sleeping flat, warmer hands and feet whereas a person would normally expect cold feet for an hour or more they found themselves sleeping with their feet outside of the bedding to keep them cooler.

This was also confirmed when helping people with spinal cord injuries, something that has occupied me for several years having met with opposition to conducting a study for people with ms by people saying ms can go into remission which of course is true but for over 11 years in the case of Terri Harrison?

A lot of years have passed since I began this journey of discovery. No more guesswork here!

For those that would like to see this proven or disproved please set up your controlled studies (for which I have been fighting to have conducted for 16 years) as you will not find your results any different to the results that are unfolding and are about to unfold on this forum.

I still believe the circulation in the nervous system is also operating the same gravity dependent flow and return system and this is why people with neurological conditions have found their condition greatly improves by avoiding a flat bed.

Andrew K Fletcher

Inclined Therapy is again helping people with MS.

Dear Foreverspring

Thank you for your updates and for helping others to understand how tilting your bed has helped you.

Hopefully more people will join us and engage us with their own updates and your reports should stir up some thoughts about there being more to this simple therapy than one might think.

Really looking forward to seeing how many more people come back and report changes over the coming months.

Maybe a news team might eventually pick up on what is happening here and take an interest. This certainly would stir up a hornets nest with the medical profession and the charities.

Perhaps it might also lead on to the illusive controlled study that doctors are hiding behind as an excuse not to inform their patients about this simple common sense postural therapy approach.

On the Youtube video, the then senior director of the MSRC said "if it works let's get everyone trying it".

Well it is obviously working and why not because I.T. worked before he said it, and he knew it worked! and so did the director before him! And so did Peter Cardy at the MS Society!

It has taken us a few months to show how effective this therapy is for people with ms and the pilot study reports are confirmed by what is happening to people on this forum using I.T.

So let's do what the MSRC said they would and show people with MS that there is an alternative to drugs that is free, non-invasive and can be conducted in the comfort of our homes.

I have had tears in my eyes today thinking about the people this therapy has helped. Who cares whether hidden agendas from people paid to provide help matter more than helping people to get more out of life when you get results like yours?

So many people have said to me it's a miracle but miracles are one off's this is fully repeatable and to prove it here we are again after all these years providing anecdotal evidence for all to see and because it truly is repeatable do these results really qualify as being anecdotal? Do we really need approval from highly over paid non-contributing obstacles?

Or should we soldier on regardless and shame them into conducting their own studies if only to try to disprove that, which cannot be disproved?

Andrew K Fletcher

Inclined Bed Therapy MS reverting back to flat.

Erika reverts back to sleeping flat for one week after sleeping inclined and following stent surgery as part of the above Liberation Treatment.



http://www.thisisms.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=76144#76144

Read what she has to say.


Erika was also featured on a video during her stent procedure.

More and more people are warming to Inclined bed Therapy, literally as the circulation improves feet and hands warm up more rapidly and body temperature remains stable throughout the night.

IMPORTANT INFLUENZA INFORMATION

IMPORTANT INFLUENZA INFORMATION

My wife and I tilted our bed at the end of 1994, raising it by 6 inches at the head end, 7 inches on a US bed, arriving at the angle by observing circulation improvements at the given angle. Since that day we have remained sleeping on an angle rather than sleeping flat!

My wife and I contracted influenza last year for the first time since 1994, which was a strain that affected all of our friends and family.

This was the first influenza virus that had completely infected us since 1994, although we have had some very mild symptoms lasting one day prior to this, indicating that our immune system is strong enough to fight viral infections. Coughs and colds also were resolved as fast as they arrived when al of our friends and family exhibited the symptoms for days and even weeks, we didn't!

The ancient Egyptians from 4000 years ago slept with their beds tilted by the same angle of five degrees to the horizontal, confirmed by a curator at a Boston Museum who measured their Egyptian bed.

This simple intervention is now known as "inclined bed therapy" or I.B.T. and more recently "inclined therapy" I.T. and has been shown to improve the help of many people with serious irreversible medical conditions over 16 years.

Inclined therapy is also practiced by the medical profession for respiratory infections and respiratory injury, assisting the lungs to function more effectively. Something worth considering when morbidity from the recent swine flu pandemic is caused by secondary respiratory infection leading to multiple organ failure rather than succumbing to the virus directly.

Your first line of defence against becoming infected appears to me at least to be a logical step.

Get your bed elevated at the head end as a preventative measure and use it in case of infection as a powerful FREE non-invasive boost for the immune system.

You may also be pleasantly surprised to find that I.T. assists sleeping, maintains the body temperature evenly, lowers heart and respiration rate and increases the oxygen levels in the blood and so much more!

While a flat bed causes the body temperature to drop by 2 degrees around 4 am, which incidentally is the time that most people die in their beds!

During the Sweating Sickness which killed millions of healthy people in the Tudor Period, throughout Europe. Two guards were placed at the side of an affected persons bed to prevent them from sleeping or laying down flat. This was their only course of intervention for this deadly pandemic that killed an affected person during the same night they contracted the mysterious disease.
These unfortunate people did not have knowledge of bacterium and secondary infections and antibiotics had not been discovered. Yet common sense prevailed.

Following this beds were made shorter and the majority of people slept on a bed measuring 4 feet six inches and spent each night sleeping with their upper body raised in the sitting position.

The fact that the very young were immune indicated a virus rather than a bacterium infection was present and that the children and the older people had antibodies from prior exposure. This is interesting and poses the question, could these children have been exposed to the virus through their parents or even during pregnancy?

Sweating Sickness Symptoms
The symptoms as described by Caius and others were as follows. The disease began very suddenly with a sense of apprehension, followed by cold shivers (sometimes very violent), giddiness, headache and severe pains in the neck, shoulders and limbs, with great exhaustion. After the cold stage, which might last from half-an-hour to three hours, followed the hot and sweating stage. The characteristic sweat broke out suddenly without any obvious cause. Accompanying the sweat, or after that was poured out, was a sense of heat, delirium, headache, rapid pulse, and intense thirst. Palpitations and pain in the heart were frequent symptoms. No skin eruptions were noted by observers including Caius. In the final stages, there was either general exhaustion and collapse, or an irresistible tendency to sleep, which was thought to be fatal if the patient were permitted to give way to it. One attack did not offer immunity, and some people suffered several bouts before succumbing.


A valuable lesson was learned!

But today this lesson gleaned from the tragic deaths of many millions has been forgotten?

Andrew K Fletcher


For more information: google "inclined bed therapy"

Home Alone, a poem by Andrew K Fletcher

Home Alone

Tick tock mental block time to take stock
Hands pass chimes while sunshine falters
Day dulls grey in shadows hidings
Noisy strangers shout then quiet stifles

Along razors edge walks humanity
Sanitized thoughts testing patient sanity
Juggling balanced along life's takings
Tempers stifled in rulers makings

Curtain drowns impoverished pride
Frosted pain in widow's window
Dignity leached with each breath
How we long for our companion

Cold and lonely comes our death

Andrew K Fletcher 10th October 2009

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha) for High Blood Pressure, (orthostatic hypotension) vascular and Heart Conditions

Link to forum: http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=24310.0

1: Herz. 1999 Oct;24(6):465-74; discussion 475.Links
Erratum in:
Herz 1999 Nov;24(7):586.
[High-dose Crataegus extract WS 1442 in the treatment of NYHA stage II heart failure]
[Article in German]
Tauchert M, Gildor A, Lipinski J.
Klinikum Leverkusen. tauchert@klinikumvlev.de
The efficacy and tolerance of the standardized hawthorn (crataegus) extract WS 1442 were tested in a multicenter utilization observational study. We monitored 1,011 patients with cardiac insufficiency stage NYHA II, treated with this extract (Crataegutt novo 450, 1 tablet b.i.d.) over a period of 24 weeks. During and at the end of the observation period a significant improvement in clinical symptoms (reduced performance in the exercise tolerance test, fatigue, palpitation and exercise dyspnea) was observed. Ankle edema and nocturia disappeared by 83%, and by half of the patients respectively manifesting these symptoms before treatment. The improvement and economization of cardiac performance were additionally shown by a reduction in blood pressure, an increased maximal exercise tolerance and a reduction in the difference in the pressure/heart rate product (PHRP). The positive effects of WS 1442 were further demonstrated by an improved ejection fraction and an increased percentile shortening fraction measured using M-mode echocardiography. The stabilizing effect of the hawthorn extract on the heart rate was shown by a slower rest pulse, as well as by an increase in the number of day and night normorhythmic patients, as documented by long-term ECG. The reduction in the number of patients showing ST depressions, arrhythmias and ventricular extrasystoles at the maximum exercise level is regarded as an indication for an improved myocardial perfusion. Fourteen side effects were noted. In two cases (abdominal discomfort and facial pains accompanied by tachycardia) a possible relationship with the hawthorn therapy, was postulated which however was considered unlikely by the treating physicians. Almost 2/3 of the patients felt better or much better following the 24 weeks of treatment. More than 3/4 of the participating physicians noted a good or a very good efficacy, and 98.7% noted a good or a very good tolerance. High-dose hawthorn therapy is an efficient, well-tolerated and easily regulated therapeutic alternative for patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency stage NYHA II.


1: Phytomedicine. 2003;10 Suppl 4:61-7.Links
Dose-response related efficacy in orthostatic hypotension of a fixed combination of D-camphor and an extract from fresh crataegus berries and the contribution of the single components.
Belz GG, Loew D.
Center for Cardiovascular Pharmacology, ZekaPha GmbH, Mainz-Wiesbaden, Germany.
Independent, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled studies using sublingual/oral administration of D-camphor, an extract from fresh crataegus berries, and a combination of the two (CCC) yielded the following results: Both the D-camphor and the extract from fresh crataegus berries, the components of CCC, contribute to the pressoric effects of the combination. The underlying hemodynamic mechanisms can be attributed to an increase in total peripheral resistance induced by an increased tone of the arterioles with both components and the effect of crataegus is intensified by an additional direct positive action on cardiac performance. Conceivably, the D-camphor component is the main factor in inducing the rapid initial effect, whereas the extract from fresh crataegus berries adds a long-lasting effect. For CCC, a dose-dependent increase in supine blood pressure and prevention of orthostatic fall in blood pressure following tilt table-induced orthostasis in patients with orthostatic dysregulation was demonstrated as well. The effect revealed a very rapid onset of action within 1 min following administration, confirming the traditional use in emergency situations such as orthostatic (pre)syncope. Thus, these studies show that CCC, depending on the pressoric activity of its two mono-components, exerts a significant effect that counteracts an orthostatic fall in blood pressure and thereby provides a rationale for its application that reemphasizes the decades-long usefulness of this phyto-combination.


: Arzneimittelforschung. 2005;55(8):443-50.Links
[Efficacy and safety of a herbal drug containing hawthorn berries and D-camphor in hypotension and orthostatic circulatory disorders/results of a retrospective epidemiologic cohort study]
[Article in German]
Hempel B, Kroll M, Schneider B.
Robugen GmbH Pharmazeutische Fabrik, Esslingen-Zell
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Korodin Herz-Kreislauf-Tropfen, a herbal drug containing D-camphor (CAS 76-22-2; 2.5 %) and a liquid extract of fresh hawthorn berries (97.3%), has been used since many years for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension. The combination as well as its constituents were tested in clinical trials against placebo with healthy volunteers and patients using tilt-tests. The objective of this study was to investigate efficacy and safety of the drug under the conditions of medical practice in comparison to other drugs admitted for this indication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was performed as an epidemiological retrospective cohort study in 46 medical practices in Germany. In the practices the files were reviewed for patients who were treated between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2002 for orthostatic hypotension. Included in the study were all patients who were treated either with the test drug or a control drug containing etilefrine, oxilofrine, midodrine, norfenefrine or dihydroergotamine and who met the inclusion criteria. The data of the files were coded, transferred to case report forms and augmented by the physician's statements about symptoms and success. Effect criteria were the improvement of symptoms and change of blood pressure during treatment. The correctness of the data was controlled using anonymous copies of the files. A total of 490 patients (399 in the test-group and 91 in the control group) between 11 and 102 years were included in the study. To correct heterogeneities in baseline conditions, treatment results were adjusted by regression and stratification to equal baseline conditions using the propensity score. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratio for improvement was 5.6, the adjusted mean increase of the systolic blood pressure the 2-fold compared to the control group. The difference was highly significant and did not depend on age or initial blood pressure. In the test group two adverse events were observed which had no relation to the medication; in the control group one reversible event with a probable relation to the medication was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The test drug was proven as effective and safe in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension in medical practice for all age groups and independent of the initial blood pressures.


: Br J Gen Pract. 2006 Jun;56(527):437-43.
Hypotensive effects of hawthorn for patients with diabetes taking prescription drugs: a randomised controlled trial.
Walker AF, Marakis G, Simpson E, Hope JL, Robinson PA, Hassanein M, Simpson HC.
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Reading. a.f.walker@reading.ac.uk
BACKGROUND: Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) leaves, flowers and berries are used by herbal practitioners in the UK to treat hypertension in conjunction with prescribed drugs. Small-scale human studies support this approach. AIM: To investigate the effects of hawthorn for hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes taking prescribed drugs. DESIGN OF STUDY: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: General practices in Reading, UK. METHOD: Patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 79) were randomised to daily 1200 mg hawthorn extract (n = 39) or placebo (n = 40) for 16 weeks. At baseline and outcome a wellbeing questionnaire was completed and blood pressure and fasting blood samples taken. A food frequency questionnaire estimated nutrient intake. RESULTS: Hypotensive drugs were used by 71% of the study population with a mean intake of 4.4 hypoglycaemic and/or hypotensive drugs. Fat intake was lower and sugar intake higher than recommendations, and low micronutrient intake was prevalent. There was a significant group difference in mean diastolic blood pressure reductions (P = 0.035): the hawthorn group showed greater reductions (baseline: 85.6 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 83.3 to 87.8; outcome: 83.0 mmHg, 95% CI = 80.5 to 85.7) than the placebo group (baseline: 84.5 mmHg, 95% CI = 82 to 87; outcome: 85.0 mmHg, 95% CI = 82.2 to 87.8). There was no group difference in systolic blood pressure reduction from baseline (3.6 and 0.8 mmHg for hawthorn and placebo groups, respectively; P = 0.329). Although mean fat intake met current recommendations, mean sugar intake was higher and there were indications of potential multiple micronutrient deficiencies. No herb-drug interaction was found and minor health complaints were reduced from baseline in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first randomised controlled trial to demonstrate a hypotensive effect of hawthorn in patients with diabetes taking medication.
PMID: 16762125 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



1: Int J Dev Neurosci. 2009 Aug 24.
Hawthorn extract reduces infarct volume and improves neurological score by reducing oxidative stress in rat brain following middle cerebral artery occlusion.
Elango C, Jayachandaran KS, Devaraj SN.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai-600 025, Tamil Nadu, India.
In our present investigation the neuroprotective effect of alcoholic extract of Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha) was evaluated against middle cerebral artery occlusion induced ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were pretreated with 100mg/kg body weight of the extract by oral gavage for 15 days. The middle cerebral artery was then occluded for 75minutes followed by 24hours of reperfusion. The pretreated rats showed significantly improved neurological behavior with reduced brain infarct when compared to vehicle control rats. The glutathione level in brain was found to be significantly (p<0.05) low in vehicle control rats after 24hours of reperfusion when compared to sham operated animals, However, in Hawthorn extract pretreated rats the levels were found to be close to that of sham. Malondialdehyde levels in brain of sham and pretreated group were found to be significantly lower than the non treated vehicle group (p<0.05). The nitric oxide levels in brain were measured and found to be significantly (p<0.05) higher in vehicle than in sham or extract treated rats. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Hawthorn extract which is a well known prophylactic for cardiac conditions may very well protect the brain against ischemia reperfusion. The reduced brain damage and improved neurological behavior after 24hours of reperfusion in Hawthorn extract pretreated group may be attributed to its antioxidant property which restores glutathione levels, circumvents the increase in lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels thereby reducing peroxynitrite formation and free radical induced brain damage.

1: Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2008 Feb;22(1):19-28. Epub 2008 Jan 20. Links
Effects of hawthorn on cardiac remodeling and left ventricular dysfunction after 1 month of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats.
Hwang HS, Bleske BE, Ghannam MM, Converso K, Russell MW, Hunter JC, Boluyt MO.
Division of Kinesiology, Laboratory of Molecular Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
PURPOSE: Hawthorn (Crataegus) is a natural product used to treat patients with heart failure. The effects of hawthorn on cardiac remodeling, however, are not known. The purpose was to determine the effects of hawthorn treatment on remodeling and function of the left ventricle (LV) after 1 month of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (male, 300 g) were subjected to sham operation (SH) or aortic constriction (AC) for 4 weeks and treated with Hawthorn (Crataegus-Extract- WS1442;1.3, 13, 130 mg kg(-1) day(-1); AC-L, AC-M, AC-H) or vehicle (SH-V, AC-V) for 3 weeks after surgery. Systolic and diastolic function were measured using echocardiographic assessment at baseline and 4 weeks after AC. RESULTS: AC increased the LV/body weight ratio by 34% in vehicle and hawthorn treated rats. Hawthorn markedly reduced LV chamber volumes (VOL) after AC [systolic VOL, mean +/- SEM, mm(3): SH-V, 87 +/- 13; AC-V, 93 +/- 12; AC-L, 62 +/- 9; AC-M, 68 +/- 12; AC-H; 50 +/- 11 and diastolic VOL: SH-V, 433 +/- 45; AC-V, 412 +/- 57; AC-L, 313 +/- 25; AC-M, 319 +/- 37; AC-H, 264 +/- 25 (p < 0.05)] and augmented relative wall thickness, mm: SH-V, 0.45 +/- 0.02; AC-V, 0.65 +/- 0.05; AC-L, 0.71 +/- 0.03; AC-M, 0.74 +/- 0.06; AC-H, 0.80 +/- 0.09 (p < 0.05). AC reduced velocity of circumferential shortening (Vcf(c)) by 28% compared with SH-V. Hawthorn attenuated the AC-induced decrease in Vcf(c) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hawthorn treatment modifies left ventricular remodeling and counteracts myocardial dysfunction in early pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy.

1: Phytomedicine. 2003;10(5):363-9.Links
A randomised double blind placebo controlled clinical trial of a standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries (Crataegisan) in the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure NYHA II.
Degenring FH, Suter A, Weber M, Saller R.
Bioforce AG, Roggwil, Switzerland.
A placebo controlled, randomised, parallel group, multicentre trial conducted in accordance with the guidelines of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) shows the efficacy and safety of a standardised extract of fresh berries of Crataegus oxyacantha L. and monogyna Jacq. (Crataegisan) in patients with cardiac failure NYHA class II. A total of 143 patients (72 men, 71 women, mean age of 64.8 (8.0 years) were recruited and treated with 3 times 30 drops of the extract (n = 69) or placebo (n = 74) for 8 weeks. The primary variable for the evaluation of efficacy was the change in exercise tolerance determined with bicycle exercise testing, secondary variables included the blood pressure-heart rate product (BHP). Subjective cardiac symptoms at rest and at higher levels of exertion were assessed by the patient on a categorical rating scale. An overall assessment of efficacy at the final visit was provided by the patient and the investigator. In the ITT population there was a significant increase in exercise tolerance in both groups between visit 1 and visit 3. The difference between the treatment groups was 8.3 watts in favour of the standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries (p = 0.045). The result is confirmed in the PP population (p = 0.047). Changes in BHP at 50 watts and at comparable maximum load were in favour of Crataegus extract but the results are not statistically significant. The subjective assessment of cardiac symptoms at rest and at higher levels of exertion did not change significantly and the patient and investigator overall assessment of efficacy were similar for the two groups. The medication was well tolerated and had a high level of patient acceptability. The significant improvement, due to the fact that dyspnoea and fatigue do not occur until a significantly higher wattage has been reached in the bicycle exercise testing allows the conclusion that the recruited NYHA II patients may expect an improvement in their heart failure condition under long term therapy with the standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries.

: Phytother Res. 2002 Feb;16(1):48-54. Links
Promising hypotensive effect of hawthorn extract: a randomized double-blind pilot study of mild, essential hypertension.
Walker AF, Marakis G, Morris AP, Robinson PA.
Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, School of Food Biosciences, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 226, Reading RG6 6AP, UK. A.F.Walker@afnovell.reading.ac.uk
This pilot study was aimed at investigating the hypotensive potential of hawthorn extract and magnesium dietary supplements individually and in combination, compared with a placebo. Thirty-six mildly hypertensive subjects completed the study. At baseline, anthropometric and dietary assessment, as well as blood pressure measurements were taken at rest, after exercise and after a computer 'stress' test. Volunteers were then randomly assigned to a daily supplement for 10 weeks of either: (a) 600 mg Mg, (b) 500 mg hawthorn extract, (c) a combination of (a) and (b), (d) placebo. Measurements were repeated at 5 and 10 weeks of intervention. There was a decline in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in all treatment groups, including placebo, but ANOVA provided no evidence of difference between treatments. However, factorial contrast analysis in ANOVA showed a promising reduction (p = 0.081) in the resting diastolic blood pressure at week 10 in the 19 subjects who were assigned to the hawthorn extract, compared with the other groups. Furthermore, a trend towards a reduction in anxiety (p = 0.094) was also observed in those taking hawthorn compared with the other groups. These findings warrant further study, particularly in view of the low dose of hawthorn extract used. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


: Fortschr Med. 1996 Aug 30;114(24):291-6.Links
[Crataegus Special Extract WS 1442. Assessment of objective effectiveness in patients with heart failure (NYHA II)]
[Article in German]

Weikl A, Assmus KD, Neukum-Schmidt A, Schmitz J, Zapfe G, Noh HS, Siegrist J.

Hauptkrankenhaus Deggendorf.

METHOD: In a multicenter, placebo-controlled double-blind study, the efficacy of the Crataegus-Specialextrakt WS 1442 in patients with NYHA stage II cardiac insufficiency was investigated. A total of 136 patients with this diagnosis were admitted to the study and, following a 2-week run-in phase, treated with Crataegus-Specialextract or placebo over a period of 8 weeks. The primary target parameter was the change in the difference of the pressure, heart rate product (systolic blood pressure x heart rate/100) (PHRP 50 W load vs. rest) measured at the beginning and end of treatment. RESULTS: On the basis of this variable, a clear improvement in the performance of the heart was shown in the group receiving the test substance, while the condition of the placebo group progressively worsened. The therapeutic difference between the groups was statistically significant. The positive result for the objective efficacy parameter was confirmed by a statistically obvious superiority of Crataegus in the patient's own assessment of improvement in the main symptoms (reduced performance, shortness of breath, ankle edema etc.). In addition, active treatment led, in comparison with placebo, to a considerably better quality of life for the patient, in particular with respect to mental well-being. The tolerability of the active substance proved to be very good-as shown by comprehensive laboratory investigations and the recording of undesirable events. CONCLUSION: All in all, the results of the present clinical investigation confirm those of previous studies showing that Crataegus-Specialextrakt WS 1442 is an effective and low-risk phytotherapeutic form of treatment in patients with NYHA II cardiac insufficiency.

1: Fortschr Med. 1993 Jul 20;111(20-21):352-4.Links
[Crataegus Special Extract WS 1442 in NYHA II heart failure. A placebo controlled randomized double-blind study]
[Article in German]

Leuchtgens H.

In 30 patients with stage NYHA II cardiac insufficiency, a placebo-controlled randomized double-blind study was carried out to determine the efficacy of the Crataegus special extract WS 1442. Treatment duration was 8 weeks, and the substance was administered at a dose of 1 capsule taken twice a day. The main target parameters were alteration in the pressure-x-rate product (PRP) under standardised loading on a bicycle ergometer, and a score of subjective improvement of complaints elicited by a questionnaire. Secondary parameters were exercise tolerance and the change in heart rate and arterial blood pressure. The active substance group showed a statistically significant advantage over placebo in terms of changes in PRP (at a load of 50 W) and the score, but also in the secondary parameter heart rate. In both groups, systolic and diastolic blood pressure was mildly reduced. No adverse reactions occurred.

Multiple Sclerosis Dropped Foot and a Dehumidifier

Pauline Phelps, a lady with ms who has been helped by sleeping on an inclined bed, found that some mornings her dropped foot would be a problem. Dropped foot happens when the nervous system is compromised between the foot and the brain, in ms it is thought to be caused by plaques in the myelin sheath around the nerves. Yet Pauline began to record the humidity using a simple meter provided by yours truly. Having done so higher humidity appeared to be indicative so a dehumidifier was introduced into her bedroom during the night and additional water was drank to replace the additional lost fluids from the respiratory tract and skin. In the mornings when the dehumidifier was used during the night her dropped foot problem was not present, yet during high humidity weather when the dehumidifier was not used or had switched off when full her dropped foot problem became apparent again.

Pauline’s experiments with the dehumidifier proved beyond any doubt that humidity plays a very important part in ms. And because Pauline was asleep when the experiment was performed we can eliminate placebo as a cause of her improvements or demise.

Another testimonial for Inclined Therapy

Rainbowdaby said...
VERY WELL DONE Andrew!

I have been using his Inclined bed therapy for the last NINE years and I would never go back to sleeping on a flat bed. When I left the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen I had major problems in my spine, sciatica varicous viens, circulating problems etc. etc. I was taking a bucket full of pain killers. That was EIGHT years ago.

Now at 72 years young. I have not taken any drugs (of any description) in the last SEVEN years. I genuinly feel I have taken total responsiblity of my health. No need to buy expensive health insurance. You have saved me a lot of money and given me a lot of long term happiness Andrew.

I am extremely grateful to you. Keep up the good work!

8:17 AM

Teasing Toe Moments

Silence flows like a babbling brook across smooth stones
Glistening shimmering waters edge beckons out for chilling
Crayfish follow and challenge teasing toe moments
Trout leaping to touch a silvery moon fall and anoint our thoughts
A heron stabs and studies and stabs some more and quickly swallows

Wolf calls but seldom seen we feel its soulful knoll play upon our spine
Looking for those calculating eyes amid the pines and nettle
We quickly gather thoughts with pace and run for steam and kettle
The door is closed the room is dark the cup is filled and bed is calling
Heart pounding we extend our ears to night and tomorrow seek another fright

Written 22 July 08
Andrew K Fletcher

Ancient Healing using Inclined Therapy

We appear to have forgotten many ancient treatments and much ancient logic over time, often replacing it with wholly inadequate but more profitable drugs and surgery. In the Late Tudor Period, people slept sitting up due to so many people laying down and not waking again in the morning following the sweating sickness that ravaged Europe killing many millions of people, including some nobility and even a King.

They had no Tamiflu or vaccine to fight the illness, all they had in fact was the power of observation and quickly learned that those that did not lay down somehow managed to survive this lethal unidentified disease. Two guards were placed at a sick persons bed side, presumably to prevent the person from laying flat and sleeping. The guarded person often survived, while the uninformed person lay down and died.

As mentioned before on this thread, the Ancient Egyptians also practiced avoiding sleeping flat, even designing beds to prevent this. We do not know and perhaps never will why they made the beds this way in the first place, but we do know that sleeping on a five degree head up incline was widely practiced from the very powerful right down to the labourers who built the pyramids.

So it is not surprising that the Ancient Chinese, perhaps the most advanced of all the civilisations realised that many conditions were in fact circulation problems.

Multiple sclerosis is now thought to be a problem with circulation by a few who have gone against the unfounded logic that the immune system suddenly decides to attack the nervous system. The idea that blood reflux from the cerebrospinal vein is now thought to be the primary cause of the damage, first introduced by Doctor Franz Schelling, and now proven to be the case by Professor Zamboni and Colleagues who have identified swollen and twisted veins in 100% of patients with ms tested, where controls without ms had no such varicose veins next to the spinal column.

If you do decide to test drive Inclined Therapy, please take photographs of affected areas of your skin and nails so that comparisons can be made during and after 4 months.

If I can help, please do not hesitate to ask.

Andrew K Fletcher

Collapsed Vein and Inclined Therapy.

This should be on the first post.

Following a report from a lady with a collapsed vein in the foot who joined the pilot study and found that her circulation in the foot deteriorated due to the incline rather than improving as many had done. It was quickly realised that in the case of a collapsed vein rather than a swollen vein that decreasing the venous pressure as is the case with varicose veins and oedema, the restriction would be further closed.

A post from someone on a forum who relates to a collapsed vein present from childhood makes this point and for which I am grateful and would like to learn more if possible. I don't think under these particular circumstances Inclined therapy will be of much use to anyone with a collapsed vein without corrective surgery to open up the veins.

This was written a long time ago and reference can be found on the net.

A collapsed vein is rare and should be carefully monitored and anyone who has this condition should not join this study as this study is aiming to cause the veins to be drawn in by changing the pressure inside the veins and increasing the tension in the blood. In the case of a collapsed vein circulation will already be severely restricted so further reductions in the size of the vessel will restrict circulation rather than improve it in this case. If however a vein has been surgically closed for cosmetic reasons, this is not the same as a collapsed vein and in this case should not complicate your experience using I.T.

One other case was a known heroin addict of many years who had severely damaged veins and ulcerated legs. His veins sustained heavy damage from constant injection in the legs and arms. Hi veins were collapsed and responded well to I.T. with the ulcerated skin becoming fully recovered in several months of avoiding flat bedrest.

With this observation in mind, if you suspect or have a confirmed case of a collapsed vein, I.T. may be of some help but you will need to monitor skin colour and pressure test the skin using a finger pressed firmly into the skin and released. The skin should return to normal colour quickly almost instantly responding to the pressure release as your finger is moved away. If this is not the case during Inclined Therapy you may need to consult your doctor to find a remedial solution before returning to I.T. or indeed returning to sleeping flat.

It is also very important to increase the amount of water you drink using I.T. as it has a diuretic effect on the body as waste products are more effectively removed from the blood more water will also be removed along with it into the bladder and will need to be replenished.

Andrew K Fletcher

How do Trees Really Lift Water To Their Leaves?

So wrong and so far off the mark about where this is heading Sophie. I do learn from you and others, my lesson might not go in the direction you anticipate but that is the problem with people who think laterally rather than a blinkered approach.

I have taken on board all of the posts and let's face it they are available for reflection and are being read by the doctor who has agreed to help with the paper. The real shame is that the significance of all of this appears to go over your heads.

You said science does not suck in that it can be explained better by pressure changes. The cohesion tension theory has an elaborate explanation stating that as one water molecule leaves the tree to the atmosphere another is drawn up to replace it. Well blow me if this was the case we would have water spurting out of the tops of buildings filled with cavity wall insulation and all of the water would leave the top of the tree rather than the observed source to sink flow.

Picture a deciduous tree in Autumn with all of it's leaves on the ground standing 40-50 metres as naked as a newborn. The cohesion tension theory states evaporation from the leaves causes water to be sucked up, SUCKED being the appropriate term for one molecule replacing another in a vertical chain from root to leaf. Well blow me again there are no leaves to suck here yet the buds begin to burst in the upper most branches during the spring. How does your precious historic science deal with this obvious anti-suck observation? It can’t can it? Only a density change be it from the warming of the outside of the tree or from the release of stored salts and sugars or even a combination of both can explain this new burst of life in what is after all a multiple conduit system consisting of predominantly non living tubular cells.

Another argument is that the collective pull of the densely leaved canopy can account for the impressive heights of trees. Well blow me again there are many trees locally that have very little canopy yet continue to grow vertically and have done so for some 21 years. Larch being a prime example.

The problem science is having at the moment is accepting that trees do not suck water up and emit it to the atmosphere, they circulate sap and some of it is emitted to the atmosphere and as a result of the water loss inevitable density changes take place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=1982.msg263170#msg263170

How do trees really lift water to their leaves?

Ever thought about how Giant Trees towering over a hundred metres can raise water to their leaves without an obvious pumping mechanism?

It may interest you to know that the current explanations are nonsense.

Take root pressure for example. Do roots really squeeze water to the tops of trees? Or Capillary action. Can trees soak up water and release it into the atmosphere like a giant sponge, if this were the case, rising damp would ooze from the tops of walls and even tall buildings? The Cohesion tension theory as it stands sucks and relies on water leaving the leaves and this is thought to drag on a chain of water stretching right to the roots. (elaborate way of saying sucks)

Imagine standing on a desk let alone a hundred meters in the air and trying to suck water up a straw from a bottle on the ground. We can't do it so why do we expect a tree to be given different rules? It goes on to say that the huge number of leaves cause a collective pull. Well there are plenty of trees that stand at impressive heights, that are not furnished with a huge canopy of leaves and yet are able to effortlessly draw water from the soil and absorb moisture from the air. The larch being one example. But what about deciduous trees. In the Autumn the leaves fall and yet somehow in the spring the tree picks up where it left off and circulation continues inside causing the buds to form. How does this fit with the leaves having to pull water up? And then Straburger’s experiments where he killed a tree suspended vertically in a bath of picric acid. Strasburger observed circulation continuing for several weeks after the tree was completely killed ruling out living processes.

THE GRAVITY OF LIFE Theory by Andrew K Fletcher

Photo courtesy of PDphoto.


Short Introduction for the Association of Science In Schools.


THE GRAVITY OF LIFE by Andrew K Fletcher

Introduction: All life on earth developed with one thing in common; Earth!The constant forces are gravity, and the energy from the sun.

The most abundant resources are minerals and water.

Plants and animals alike, all depend on the properties of water for transporting minerals and nutrients. Because life is based on water, in that everything alive started from a few drops, life must have evolved by finding the easiest and most direct pathway, after all liquids are very good at finding the most direct route possible. Yet, at first glance, everywhere one looks life appears to have chosen the least likely of paths, if it is trying to overcome the effects of gravity. Would trees, with species like the giant Californian redwoods (sequoia sempervirens) , towering over a hundred metres high have chosen a vertical direction? How then have plants and animals harnessed the constant pull of gravity in order to thrive and grow?

On a summer day a large oak tree may take up a hundred gallons of water or more, enriched with minerals and nutrients from the soil. At first glance it is doing so against the pull of gravity, producing flow rates, which cannot be explained or shown by working models based on osmosis, capillary action or root pressure. So how are trees doing it?

Explanation:

Over 95% of the waters drawn in at the roots of a tree evaporate into the surrounding air through the leaves by transpiration. The evaporated moisture contains no minerals. However, the water remaining inside the tree contains a variety of mineral salts dissolved from the soil, together with sugars produced by the tree. The transpired water results in a concentration of salts and sugars within the leaves. Concentrating a liquid, (sap), which contains substances that are heavier than water, must result in the production of a heavier solution than the pre-transpired liquid. Because of the resulting imbalance in density the heavier solution is drawn towards the base of the tree, due to the effect of gravity (maple syrup, latex and amber are evidence for this). Downward flowing sap occurs predominantly within the phloem vessels. When an excess of concentrated liquid is produced during favourable weather conditions, the downward flowing sap forms new tubes from the cambium, as it is forced down by gravity, in a continual cycle of growth.
In hard woods, sap flows from cell to cell through openings or perforations, in the membrane between abutting vessels.
In soft-woods, the sap flow controls movable valves, or pits - (thin areas), in the walls of conducting tracheids. Concentrated pulses of sap may eventually be found to be present in some xylem vessels, as gravity inevitably finds the most direct route, with the least resistance, to the ground.
But for every action there must always be a reaction, and the reaction in this case is that the downward flowing liquid behaves exactly like a plunger in a syringe. As it flows down it causes the entire contents of connected tubes filled with the less dense liquid to be drawn up.
Here we have a simple power source, which is driven purely by evaporation, posture and gravity.
The forces produced by this phenomenon are easy to demonstrate in simple tubular experiments. The main forces are produced at the head and tail of the falling solutions. The head produces a positive force, or pressure, and the tail produces a negative pressure. I believe that the positive force within the mineral laden sap is responsible for the formation of the tubular structures found in timber. The positive force prevents tubes from closing.
As more sap flows through the same pathways, some of the sap is used to strengthen the tubes which will eventually become strong enough to resist the negative pressures. The tree transports the dilute solution of water and minerals to the leaves using these tubes. Thereafter becoming what we call the xylem vessels.
As the concentrated liquid falls towards the ground, minerals are locked away as timber, while the mineral laden liquid arriving at the roots is inevitably re-diluted by the dilute solution drawn from the soil. The imbalance in the liquid is corrected as it becomes lighter or less dense than the downward flowing sap and begins its journey back to the leaves, where the process continues, providing the tree with a constant supply of water and nutrients.
In the autumn, when the leaves have fallen, the circulation is altered as a greater positive pressure is exerted towards the roots, because transpiration has ceased and therefore fluids flowing towards the top of the tree would be compromised. At this time of the year root growth would be most productive.
As fluid channels begin to offer resistance, the sap must find alternative routes. The new directions may be vertical or horizontal, but always in the path of least resistance. Eventually tubes become redundant and new tubes are formed. Fluids of different specific gravity have been observed to flow in both directions, simultaneously while in the same tube. In fact this ‘transpiring gravitational flow system’ is able to operate without tubes and has been attributed to causing the oceans to circulate (Atlantic conveyor system).
Early attempts at lifting water: The story goes that the reigning Grand Duke of Tuscany had ordered a well to be dug to supply the ducal palace with water. The workmen came upon water at a depth of 40 feet, and the next step was to pump it up. A vacuum lift pump was erected over the well, and a pipe let down to the water, but the water was found to rise to a height of 33 feet and no more, in spite of the most careful overhauling of the pump mechanism. It was at this stage that Galileo was consulted. While the famous philosopher was unable to offer a solution, he at least indicated the problem. Here above the 33 feet of water was seven feet of vacuum. The limit for raising water by suction in a tube appeared to be thirty-three feet.
Why should there be this limit when trees are observed to ignore it?
By introducing a loop of tubing, instead of a single tube, to simulate the internal structure of plants and trees, and suspending it by the centre, the problem of raising water above the 33 feet limit is solved. The reason a loop of tubing succeeds where a single tube fails is because the cohesive bond of water molecules is far stronger than the adhesive qualities of water observed in Galileo’s lift-pump problem. Using a loop of tubing enables water molecules to bond to each other in an unbroken chain. It helps to picture the unbroken loop of water as a cord instead of a liquid, supported by a pulley in the centre with tension applied to both ends.
The columns of water held in both sides of the tube exert a downward force due to the weight of the water contained in the tube. This force causes the water molecules in the tube to be stretched, causing the water to behave like an elastic band. In order to demonstrate this affect on water molecules I repeated the experiment shown in figure 1 without the added saline solution, the two open ends of the tube at ground level were removed from the demijohns, exposing them to the air.
Though the tube contained water, it did not flow from either side of the tube. In fact the opposite effect was observed; the water level in both sides of the tube immediately rose to a new level about half a metre from the ends of the tube. Even more surprising the water columns stayed there suspended by the cohesion between the water molecules.
In order to try to upset the balance I then blew up one side of the tube, causing the water level on that side to rise. I then released the pressure and the water returned to the same equal level. This observation offers an exciting explanation to the problem of explaining why water does not pour from the wound when a tree is felled.
However, the present laws of physics state that water cannot exist in its liquid form below 4.6 torr, yet the water remains in the tube. Only when the tube is lowered, or if a bubble appears at the top of the loop of tubing does the water flow out from the open ends.

THE BRIXHAM CLIFF EXPERIMENT

This experiment successfully demonstrated fluid transport to a height, which exceeds the current accepted limit of 10 metres and how this applies to the way that trees draw water to their leaves.
APPARATUS
48 metre single length of clear nylon tubing, 6.35 mm inside diameter x 9.5 mm outside diameter (type used to draw ales in the brewery trade), two clear glass demijohns, a large tray, 50 mils of concentrated salt solution with added red food dye, 50ml syringe minus the needle, sufficient degassed or previously boiled and cooled water to fill the tubing, the demijohns, and for adequate top ups. Adequate nylon cord to hoist the tubing and pulley to the desired height, a small pulley and adhesive cello-tape.
Method
The two bottles were filled to the brim with the water and placed in a suitable tray to catch any displaced water. The length of tubing was half filled with the water by siphoning. This was achieved by submerging one end of the tube in the water filled demijohn placed on a table. When the water reached the centre of the loop, the open end of the tube was capped with a thumb. The end of the tube in the demijohn was removed and the 50 mils of coloured salt water was introduced via the large syringe. The demijohn was then re-filled to the brim and the tube was re-submerged, making sure that no bubbles were introduced by adjusting the height of the unfilled side of the tube. By removing the thumb, the remaining length of tube was filled and again capped, making sure that no air was trapped inside the tube. At this point the demijohns were, refilled. The capped end of the tube was then inserted into the other water filled demijohn and both ends secured at an equal level, with cello-tape, again making sure that no air was allowed to enter the tube.
A length of the nylon cord equal to that of the length of tubing used was passed through the pulley, provided a safe ground level means to hoist the loop of tubing to the desired height. The pulley and the main nylon cord was hoisted to the desired height and secured at the top of the cliff on a separate length of cord. Adhesive cello-tape was wrapped heavily around the two sides of the loop of tubing 15cm from its centre to secure one knotted end of the main nylon cord, which ran through the pulley for the purpose of lifting the tube, taking care not to reduce the tubes diameter. The cello-tape was used to bind the cord to the tube.
Coloured insulation tape was used to secure both sides of the tube together providing an excellent ascent measurement when placed at one-metre intervals.
The Original Brixham Cliff Experiment on Youtube:

The centre of the tube was then gently hoisted, taking care to keep the ascent as smooth as possible. As the tube was raised the salt solution began to fall, due to the influence of gravity; this caused one of the demijohns to start overflowing indicating a positive pressure, while the second demijohn began to lose water at the same rate indicating a negative pressure. The emptying demijohn received frequent top ups, until the salt solution arrived at the overflowing demijohn and the flow stopped.
Conclusion
The fifty mils of salt solution caused the water in the tubes to circulate. The amount of water displaced and collected in the tray represents approximately the volume of water held in one side of the tube. Which meant that the fifty mils of salt solution had lifted water from one demijohn to the height of 24 metres and caused water many times its own weight and volume to rise. (I have used as little as 10 mils of coloured salt solution in the same experiment with a slower rate of decent but with similar displacements of water). Initially the experiments were tested at lower levels of elevation. 24 metres vertical lift was achieved when demonstrating the phenomenon before an audience of journalists and Forestry Commission scientists at the Overgang cliff, Brixham, July 1995. See Press Cutting

Bench demonstration (pictured above) Video of experiment on Youtube

For the purpose of demonstrating this phenomenon use a scaled down two metre high version of Fig 1. Substituting the demijohns for small narrow necked bottles. The type of tubing used to oxygenate aquariums is ideal for this purpose. A two-mil syringe minus needle, filled with coloured salt solution, connected to a T piece via a short length of tube, may be added close to the centre of the elevated tube to introduce salt solution intermittently while the tube is elevated, providing multiple demonstrations. Furthermore, the tube used in the salt free side of the experiment, (return side), may be of a larger bore size. Soft wall, silicon tubing shows visible signs of distortion when the saline solution is allowed to flow through it. The side containing the saline solution expands while the other side contracts, again indicating the presence of both positive and negative, pressures.
The experiments shown have been repeated using a variety of substitutes for salt solution, such as strong tea solution, fruit juices and milk etc. in order to relate directly to plants and animals. The flow rates achieved using different solutions, produced different rates of flow.
Umbrella Plant Experiment, (cyperus alternifolium)

In order to demonstrate that liquids of higher concentrations move through plants in relation to the constant pull of gravity. Take a freshly cut stem about 15cm long, with leaves intact, from an umbrella plant. Place the cutting upside down, in a glass container of water. After several weeks the umbrella plant starts to grow roots from what was the top of the plant and new stems are produced, as the shoots grow vertically in the normal way. The liquid processes involved within the plant for both root and leaf production, must have travelled from one end of the cut stem to the other. Indicating that gravity has an important influence.
When relating back to trees, the negative pressure, observed in the demijohn with the falling water level, provides us with a clear understanding of the mechanisms involved in drawing water through the roots from the soil. The positive pressures caused by the weight of the column of water held in the tree, plus the additional influence of gravity acting on the concentrated solutions, induced by the loss of moisture at the leaf, provides the roots with sufficient power to penetrate the earth.

Explanation for fluid exuding from a cut stem.

To demonstrate this effect, fill a vertically held open ended u tube with water, Fig 2A, and add a little coloured concentrated salt solution to one side, Fig 2B, the level of the salt solution will drop causing the opposite side to overflow. Imagine the loop of tubing is one of many tubes in the stem of a freshly cut plant or tree with roots in the soil. The overflowing water represents the xylem sap rising under the influence of the positive pressure, generated by gravity acting upon the concentrated sap in the phloem tube.
This is an important observation that gives a clear understanding of why plants and trees continue to grow upwards.

Little or no cross contamination takes place between liquids in the clean-water-side and the coloured saline side of the tube. Fig 2 C, I have left this experiment suspended for five days and it appears to remain stable. Circulation within an enclosed system, Fig 3, eliminates siphon as an explanation, demonstrating that flow occurs inside and would continue to do so if the tube was pressurised.
See video of experiments on Youtube
The thin columns of water in trees are known to snap, making a cracking sound through a stethoscope. Cavitation occurs immediately the bead of water separates. The formation of gas at the uppermost part of the raised loop of tubing, Fig 1, caused both columns of water to fall towards the ground and form a new level of 33 feet. The space above the water columns is a vacuum.
The circulation in trees continues, despite continuous cavitations, which means that they are able to refill or repair the vacuum. The internal part of a tree is a network of veins, or tubes, most of which run vertically. However some tubes run at an angle and some horizontally and provide links to other tubes, which interconnect at random levels. The internal tubular parts of the tree are themselves captivated inside a large tube, which is of course the bark or outer skin.
Water columns within the internal tubes of a tree, are continually stressed under a negative pressure, caused by downward flowing concentrated solutions within the trunk and branches. Cavitation occurs because the long thin columns of water are pulled apart. Immediately the cavitation forms, the internal pressures of that tube switch from a negative pressure to a positive pressure, forcing the more dilute solution in the opposing side of adjoined tubes upwards, Fig 2.B. & Fig 2 C. The downward force causes an increase in the head of water at the top of the tube. It is this increase in the head of water that gives a tree both momentum and direction to follow in its cyclical growth. Furthermore an increase in the positive pressure above the cavitation refills and repairs the vacuum, therefore enabling the tree to continue with water transport, and allowing gas bubbles to percolate upwards and out through the leaves.
This ability of the tree to switch from positive pressure to negative pressure and visa-versa gives us an understanding of the pressures observed in the roots of the tree. The roots being able to drive down through the earth under a positive pressure and expanding forces yet are still able to suck in water under a negative pressure.
Safety
· Students conducting any overhead experiments must observe the same Hard Hat safety regulations imposed on building workers.
· Experiments involving tube elevations higher than classroom levels should always be supervised. The safest area for this kind of experiment to take place is on a spiral staircase. Cliff top experiments are dangerous.
· A nylon line passed through a small pulley block, which has been secured at the desired height, enables the loop of tube to be elevated safely from ground level.
· Boiling water is dangerous and should not be handled or moved until it has cooled sufficiently enough to prevent scalding.
END Or Begining?


















How does this fit with Human and animal circulation? Picture the drawing flat on a table. It does not work. Now picture it vertical or even at a slight head up angle and the whole drawing comes to life with a pich of salt added at the top to increase the density and introduce a driving force as it percolates down to the kidneys and in doing so causes the whole drawing to circulate.

GCSE Biology DG Mckean (this started my research)

"A new scientific truth is not usually presented in a way to convince its opponents. Rather, they die off, and a rising generation is familiarised with the truth from the start."

Max Planck

The following review came from a letter I wrote to the late professor H T Hammel, who was a respected member of the Max Plank Institute. It was an honour to have shared my work and thoughts with Ted over the years.

This was his initial reply.

Within a couple of weeks I received his reply.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDIICINE date September 6/ 1995

Dear Mr Fletcher:

I received the information you sent me regarding your ideas about fluid transport in trees, in tubing and in the vascular system in humans.

I will study your ideas and comment upon them as soon as possible. A Quick scan of your Brixham experiment prompts me to ask if you conducted this experiment with boiled water without any solute added to the tubing on either side of the central point which you raise 24 meters? I expect that you could raise the tubing to the same height with or without solute in the water. In any case , your experiment confirms that clean water (water that is unbroken water, water that is without a single minute bubble of vapour) can support tension of several hundreds of atmospheres. The record tension obtained experimentally is 270 atmospheres. At 10 degrees C. (c.f. Briggs, L. Limiting negative pressure of water. Journal of Applied Physics 21: 721-722 1950).

I expect even this tension at brake point can be exceeded by careful cleansing of the water, to remove even the most minute region of gas phase. When the water is already broken, as occurs when gas is entrapped on particulate matter in ordinary water, the water will expand around even a single break when tension (negative Pressure) is applied to the water. When you boil the water, prior to applying (2.4-1) ATM negative pressure to the water in the highest point of the tubing, you eliminate some of these breaks in ordinary water. I expect that dissolving NaCl or other solutes in the water will have little or no effect on the way you measure the tensile strength of water.

I am enclosing some reprints that may interest you. Some of these deal with negative pressures we have measured in tall trees, mangroves and desert shrubs. Other reprints deal with how solutes alter water in aqueous solutions and how colloidal solutes (proteins) affect the flux of protein free fluid between plasma in capillaries and interstitial fluid.

Sincerely H.T. Hammel Ph.D.

GCSE Basic Physiology and water transport.

OSMOSIS ?

"I have chosen to relate to the following text book because it is written by a person who like myself is not entirely satisfied by the explanations put forward in the relevant subjects".

Figure C’s results raise the questions; What is osmosis and how are its qualities explained in the text books.

For the currently accepted view of osmosis and all other views on water transport I will refer to one of the standard GCSE text books entitled GCSE BIOLOGY, D.G. Mackean. ISBN 0-7195-4281-2 first published in 1986.

Page 34 fig 3 Diffusion gradient

Page 36 OSMOSIS

Osmosis is the special name used to describe the diffusion of water across a membrane, from a dilute solution to a more concentrated solution. In biology this usually means the diffusion of water into or out of cells Osmosis is just one special kind of because it is only water molecules and their movement we are considering. Figure 3 showed that molecules will diffuse from a region where there are a lot of them to a region where they are fewer in number; that is from a region of highly concentrated molecules to a region of lower concentration. Pure water has the highest possible concentration of water molecules; it is 100% water molecules, all of them free to move.

Figure 9 shows a concentrated sugar solution, separated from a dilute solution by a membrane, which allows water molecules to pass through. The dilute solution, in effect contains more water molecules than the concentrated solution. As a result of this difference in concentration, water molecules will diffuse from the dilute to the concentrated solution. The level of the concentrated solution will rise or, if it is confined to an enclosed space, its pressure will increase. The membrane separating the two solutions is often called selectively permeable or semi-permeable because it appears as if water molecules can pass through it more easily than sugar molecules can.

Osmosis then is the passage of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a dilute solution to a concentrated solution.

This is all you need to know in order to understand the effects of osmosis in living organisms, But a more complete explanation is given below.

ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION FOR OSMOSIS

The current text book explanation for osmosis appears to have ignored the effects of gravity on liquids. The constant pull of gravity acts differently on concentrated solutions than dilute solutions i.e. The concentrated solution is heavier than the dilute solution and will always settle at the bottom of a reservoir or in this case a vessel.

To see this clearly, picture Fig 9 without the membrane; the result would be that the concentrated solution would sink and the dilute solution would rise. This effect will not stop because of the membrane. The concentrated solution will still cause the dilute solution to rise as we have seen earlier; and as the concentrated solution moves into the opposite side containing the dilute solution, the dilute solution is dragged through the membrane in a circular motion. For every action there must be a reaction. In order to prove this point add a little dye to the sugar solution and watch the exchange between the liquids.

"When the effect that gravity exerts on concentrated solutions is added to the equation of water transport and osmosis, it gives us a very clear understanding of the driving mechanisms involved".

Chapter 7 Transport in plants

page 71

The main force which draws water from the soil and through the plant is caused by a process called transpiration. Water evaporates from the leaves and causes a kind of ‘suction ‘ which pulls water up the stem. The water travels up the vessels in the vascular bundles and this flow of water is called the transpiration stream. The water vapour passes by diffusion through the air spaces in the mesophyll and out of the stomata. It is this loss of water vapour from the leaves which is called transpiration. The cell walls which are losing water in this way replace it by drawing water from the nearest vein. Most of this water travels along the cell walls without actually going inside the cells. Thousands of leaf cells are evaporating water like this and drawing water to replace it from the xylem vessels in the veins. As a result , water is pulled through the xylem vessels and up the stem from the roots. This transpiration pull is strong enough to draw up water 50 metres or more in trees.

Page 72

Most of this water evaporates from the leaves; only a tiny fraction is retained for photosynthesis and to maintain the turgor of the cells. The advantage to the plant of this excessive evaporation is not clear.

A rapid water flow may be needed to obtain sufficient mineral salts, which are in very dilute solution in the soil. Evaporation may also help to cool the leaf when exposed to intense sunlight.

Against the first possibility it has to be pointed out that, in some cases, an increased transpiration rate does not increase the uptake of minerals.

Many biologists regard transpiration as an inevitable consequence of photosynthesis, in order to photosynthesise, a leaf has to take in carbon dioxide from the air. The pathway that lets carbon dioxide in will also let water vapour out whether the plant needs to lose water or not. In all probability, plants have to maintain a careful balance between the optimum intake of carbon dioxide and a damaging loss of water.

Page 73

Humidity if the air is very humid, i.e. contains a great deal of water vapour, it can accept very little more from the plants and so transpiration slows down. In dry air, the diffusion of water vapour from the leaf to the atmosphere will be rapid. ( " I will deal with this point later on because it is very important and has implications for human health ") Air Movements: In still air, the region round a transpiring leaf will become saturated with water vapour so that no more can escape from the leaf. In these conditions, transpiration slows down. In moving air the water vapour will be swept away from the leaf as fast as it diffuses out. This will Speed up the transpiration. Furthermore, when the sun shines on the leaves, they will absorb heat as well as light. This warms them up and increases the rate of evaporation.

Page 73 continued Water movement in the xylem

You may have learned in physics that you cannot draw water up by suction to a height of more than about ten metres. Many trees are taller than this yet they can draw up water effectively. The explanation offered is that, in long vertical columns of water in very thin tubes, the attractive forces between the water molecules are greater than the forces trying to separate them. So in effect the transpiration stream is pulling up thin threads of water which resist the tendency to break.

There are still problems however, it is likely that the water columns in some of the vessels do have air breaks in them and yet the total water flow is not affected. The evidence all points to the non-living xylem vessels as the main route by which water passes from the soil to the leaves.

"This statement suggests that the long thin tubes of the tree ,are used for water transport, which are none-living , therefore must represent the tubes used in my experiments at Brixham."

Page 74

Root Pressure

In Experiment 8 on page 79 it is demonstrated that liquid may be forced up a stem by root pressure from the root system. The usual explanation for this is that the cell sap in the root hairs is more concentrated than the

soil water and so water enters by osmosis (see page 36). The water passes from cell to cell by osmosis and is finally forced into the xylem vessels in the centre of the root and up the stem.

This is rather an elaborate model from very little evidence. For example, a gradient of falling osmotic potentials from the outside to the inside of a root has not been demonstrated. However, there is some supporting evidence for the movement of water as a result of root pressure.

root pressures of 1-2 atmospheres have been recorded, and these would support columns of water 10 or 20 metres high. Some workers claim pressures of up to eight atmospheres (i.e. 80 metres of water)

" A column of water 80 metres high would undoubtedly cause water pressures of eight atmospheres at the roots. However It is very difficult to see how a root could generate 8 atmospheres of pressure."

However, root pressure seems to occur mainly in the young herbaceous (i.e. non-woody) plants or in woody plants early in the growing season and though in many species it must contribute to water movements in the stem. The observed rates of flow are too fast to be explained by root pressure alone.

Transport of salts

The liquid which travels in the xylem is not, in fact pure water. It is a very dilute solution, containing from 0.1to1.0% dissolved solids, mostly amino acids, other organic acids and mineral salts. The organic acids are made in the roots; the mineral salts come from the soil. The faster the flow in the transpiration stream, the more dilute is the xylem sap. Experimental evidence suggests that salts are carried from the soil to the leaves mainly in the xylem vessels.

Transport of food

The xylem sap is always a very dilute solution, but the Phloem sap may contain up to 25 per cent of dissolved solids, The bulk of which consists of sucrose and amino acids.

There is a good deal of evidence to support the view that sucrose amino acids and may other substances are transported in the phloem. The movement of water and salts in the xylem is always upwards, from the soil to the leaf. But in the phloem the sap may be travelling up or down the stem. The carbohydrates made in the leaf during photosynthesis are converted to sucrose and carried out of the leaf to the stem. From here the sucrose may pass upwards to growing buds and fruits or downwards to the roots and storage organs. All parts of a plant which cannot photosynthesise will need a supply of nutrients bought by the phloem. It is possible for substances to be travelling upwards and downwards at the same time in the phloem.

"note the dual flow has been observed in experiments with concentrated solution and water filled tubes."

Page 74 continued

There is no doubt that substances travel in the sieve tubes of the phloem But the mechanism by which they are moved is not fully understood.

There are several theories, which attempt to explain how sucrose and other solutes are transported in the phloem but none of them is entirely satisfactory.

Page 75

Uptake of water and salts

The water tension developed in the vessels by a rapidly transpiring plant is thought to be sufficient to draw water through the root from the soil. The precise pathway taken by the water is the subject of some debate, but the path of least resistance seems to be in or between the cell walls rather than through the cells.

When transpiration is slow, e.g. at night time or just before bud burst in a deciduous tree, then osmosis may play a more important part in the uptake of water.

One problem for this explanation is that it has not been possible to demonstrate that there is an osmotic gradient across the root cortex which could produce this flow of water from cell to cell. Nevertheless, root pressure developed probably by osmosis can be shown to force water up the root system and into the stem

page 76

The methods by which roots take up salts from the soil are not fully understood. Some salts may be carried in with the water drawn up by transpiration and pass mainly along the cell walls in the root cortex and into the xylem.

It may be that diffusion from a relatively high concentration in the soil to a lower concentration in the root cells accounts for uptake of some individual salts. But it has been shown (a) that salts can be taken from the soil even when their concentration is below that in the roots and (b) that anything which interferes with respiration impairs the uptake of salts. This suggests that active transport (p.35) plays an important part in the uptake of salts.

The thing that becomes clear from reading the established explanations for water transport is that if it were a bucket, very little water would be transported due to the large number of holes in it !