Care and cleaning

Treat your scrimshawed ivory as you would any fine jewelry. Do not get it wet unnecessarily, because the inks, especially colors, may fade. Keep your scrimshaw out of bright sun; this dries and cracks the ivory and may fade certain colored inks. Detergents, shampoo, heavily chlorinated water, and jewelry cleaning solutions should be avoided, as they turn the ivory surface dull and remove the etched lines. Dirt and oils may be removed with a cotton swab moistened in rubbing alcohol and wiped gently over the surface. Do not scrub, as this will remove some ink from the fine lines. I use a light coat of warm beeswax rubbed into the ivory to preserve the scrimshaw and keep the ivory from drying and aging too fast. Waxing should be repeated when the ivory is cleaned, because the alcohol removes it. If you treat your scrimshaw with care, it will give you many years of pleasure and may become a treasured heirloom.

What is scrimshaw?

Scrimshaw -- Painstaking etching on ivory or bone -- is one of only a few indigenous American crafts. Practiced for centuries by the Inuit and other native groups along the Northwest Coast, it was adopted by the Yankee whalemen of the early 1800's. Two- to five-year voyages quickly became monotonous, so the whalemen turned to working with baleen, whale teeth, and jawbones, all of which were in abundant supply -- in fact, on many ships, whale teeth were part of the pay, and were often traded to shopkeepers in port for goods or services. Common subjects included whaling scenes, ships, women, and scenes copied from magazines of the day. The origin of the word is obscure; one interesting etymology is a Dutch phrase meaning "to waste one's time!" The term "scrimshaw" also applies to carved or pierced bone or ivory, since much of the whalemen's work was carved rather than etched.

History & Materials

Scrimshaw is derived from the shipboard practice of sailors creating common tools, and on whaling ships the byproducts of whales were readily available. The term originally referred to the making of these tools, only later referring to works of art created by whalers in their spare time. Whale bone is ideally suited for the task, as it is easy to work and was very plentiful.

The development of scrimshaw took off after the market for whale teeth, which was sought by Chinese traders for use in the Pacific Islands (for example the Fijian market for tabua), was flooded with teeth after a narrative by an American sailor, Captain David Porter, revealed both the market and the source of the teeth. Around this time is the earliest authenticated pictorial piece of scrimshaw (1817). The tooth was inscribed with the following This is the tooth of a sperm whale that was caught near the Galapagos islands by the crew of the ship Adam [of London], and made 100 barrels of oil in the year 1817.[2]

Other sea animal ivories were also used as alternatives for rarer whale teeth. Walrus tusks, for example, may have been acquired in trade from indigenous walrus hunters.

Scrimshaw essentially was a leisure activity for whalers. Because the work of whaling was very dangerous at the best of times, whalers were unable to work at night. This gave them a great deal more free time than other sailors. A lot of scrimshaw was never signed and a great many of the pieces are anonymous. Early scrimshaw was done with crude sailing needles, and the movement of the ship, as well as the skill of the artist, produced drawings of varying levels of detail and artistry. Originally, candle black, soot or tobacco juice would have been used to bring the etched design into view. Today's artists use finer tools in various sizes, mostly borrowed from the dental industry. Some scrimshanders ink their work with more than one color, and restrained polychromed examples of this art are now popular.

Originating in an era when sperm whales were initially plentiful only to be hunted to near collapse, scrimshaw no longer is an artform utilizing an easily renewable animal resource, but one that is susceptible to contraband. Now, the Endangered Species Act and international conventions restrict the harvest and sale of ivory to try to reverse the scarcity of ivory-bearing animals.

  • Though there are sources of ivory that are sanctioned and legal, poachers in Africa and other continents where elephants are an endangered species still kill for their ivory, Elephant ivory has been regulated since 1976 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and selling African ivory has been prohibited since 1989.
  • 19th and 20th century scrimshaw, scrimshaw crafted before 1989 (elephant) or before 1973 (sperm whale ivory, walrus ivory etc.) is legal. It is prohibited after that year for commercial import in the U.S. under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
  • Additionally, walrus tusks bearing the Alaska State walrus ivory registration tag, and post-law walrus ivory that has been carved or scrimshawed by a native Alaskan Indian (Eskimo), is legally available.
  • Finally, any ivory considered ancient, such as 10,000 to 40,000 year old mammoth ivory, is completely unrestricted in its sale or possession.

Scrimshanders and collectors acquire legal whale teeth and marine tusks through estate sales, auctions and antiqure dealers. To avoid illegal ivory, collectors and artists check provenance and deal only with other established and reputable dealers. Scrimshaw that is found to have been illegally sourced may be seized by customs officials worldwide, dramatically loses value and is very hard to re-sell, as the limited channels through which collectible scrimshaw passes serves as a check on unscrupulous persons. As with any other fine art form, it is usually possible for experienced museums, auction houses or other experts to perceive a fake.

Sunday, 13 May 2012

Peppermint and Stomach Pain

Mar 08 2011
Katherine Scrimshaw

Peppermint has been promoted as helpful for gastrointestinal problems for centuries. In fact, physician and apothecary Nicholas Culpeper, wrote in 1653 that "mint is very profitable to the stomach." Unfortunately today the benefits are not quite that clear cut. For some conditions mint is indeed helpful but for others it can exacerbate the problem.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A meta-analysis of the existing research data up to 2007 conducted by Dr. Alex Ford of McMaster University showed peppermint oil to be an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Peppermint’s beneficial effects were particularly pronounced in children, who showed the strongest benefits from the treatment. There have been no studies to date however, on children younger than eight.
It is important to note that all of the studies included in this analysis used peppermint oil in enteric coated capsules. Peppermint tea or candies are unlikely to produce the same reduction in symptoms since the peppermint’s antispasmodic properties will work on the stomach rather than targeting the intestinal muscles which are the source of the discomfort.
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Heartburn and Indigestion

Although the menthol in peppermint increases the flow of bile and may in that way aid in digestion it can also cause heartburn. The relaxant properties of peppermint which make it so effective for IBS also act on the sphincter that keeps the food you swallow in your stomach and prevents stomach acids from entering the esophagus. For this reason people who suffer from either gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or a hiatal hernia are advised to avoid peppermint. The menthol content in peppermint tea is much reduced and there is anecdotal evidence that it may help with occasional heartburn, for those without these conditions however, there are as yet no studies to support this.

Gas Pains and Bloating

Anyone suffering frequent gas pains and bloating should consult a physician but for occasional bouts brought on by overeating or greasy food peppermint oil can relax the intestinal muscles and allow gas to pass through and be more easily eliminated. As with treating IBS enteric coated capsules prove to be the most effective since the capsules pass through the stomach intact so that the intestines receive the full benefit.

Nausea

Unfortunately there has not been enough research into peppermint as a treatment for nausea to make any conclusions.

Peppermint can interfere with some drugs, increasing how quickly they are broken down by the liver. If you are taking any other medication, check with your doctor before taking therapeutic doses of peppermint oil.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.

References:

Meyler's Side Effects of Herbal Medicines by Jeffrey K. Aronson (Elsevier Science: 2008)
Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, (Wordsworth Editions Ltd.:1995)

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