/oss/taxonomy/term/168/all en /oss/article/health-general-science/squashing-some-mosquito-myths <p>Guests at the Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Florida routinely emerge from the swimming pool and walk over to a nearby row of citrosa plants.  They proceed to shake the shrubbery and then rub their hands on their thighs.  No, this is not some sort of bizarre nudist ritual, it is just preparation for a spell of bite-free frolicking in the sun.  The citrosa plants produce two compounds, citronella and citral, which are claimed to have mosquito repellent properties! </p> Fri, 09 Jul 2021 19:04:50 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8783 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/it-true-garlic-china-grown-human-feces-and-watered-urine <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=4216" rel="attachment wp-att-4217"><img alt="garlic" height="225" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/02/garlic-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a>It is possible that sewage is used as fertilizer, as it is in many parts of the world although there is no evidence that garlic in China is fertilized in this fashion. In any case, there is no problem with this, human waste is as effective a fertilizer as is animal waste. Spreading human sewage on fields that grow crops doesn't sound appealing, but it is safer than you might think. Urine is normally free from the pathogens that cause diseases, while soils <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125694.400-faeces-on-food-crops--safer-than-youd-think.html">help to filter and clean</a> bacteria found in feces. Actually the skin on garlic is effective at preventing penetration into the bulb. Of course it is a good idea to wash the bulb before using, no matter where it comes from. A dip in boiling water is an added safeguard.</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/02/25/is-it-true-that-garlic-in-china-is-grown-in-human-feces-and-watered-with-urine/">Read more</a></p> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:00:23 +0000 OSS 1877 at /oss /oss/article/quackery/garlic-clovesin-rectum <p>“Is it true that putting a piece of garlic in the rectum at night can cleanse the body?”</p> <p>And with that single question posed by an audience member back in 1975, my chemical focus shifted to food and nutrition. The question came after one of my first public talks on chemistry at a local library, where I had described the role chemistry plays in our daily lives, mostly using dyes, drugs, plastics and cosmetics as examples.</p> <p>I was sort of taken aback by the question, but managed to stammer something like “where did you hear that?”</p> Fri, 03 Feb 2017 18:26:12 +0000 Dr. Joe Schwarcz 1428 at /oss