Abstract
This chapter reports on the ordinary clay applications in the field of health: first, the function of the nature of the pathologies to be treated, second, the function of the clay potentialities to treat certain pathologies, and third, the function of the principal reactivity domains pertaining to clay and living organisms.
Adsorption and absorption are the clay properties that most justify both the ingestion of clay (in powders or water dispersion) to treat internal health disorders of the gastrointestinal tract promoting the neutralization of stomach acidity or the fixation and posterior elimination of toxins or other toxic compounds or even the supplementation of deficient bioessential chemical elements (e.g., Fe, Zn, Ca, Mg) and the cutaneous applications of clay for skin care purposes. Heat capacity is another property related to clay pastes when, for example, mud packs are used topically to treat some skeletal–muscular rheumatic pathologies and skin inflammatory disorders (e.g., psoriasis). Clay reactivity and the specificities of the distinctive modes of application and action that can occur in clay–human body interaction, emphasizing various effects, such as the barrier effect, the fixation and transfer of essential or toxic chemical elements, as well as heat transfer are dealt with as well.
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Notes
- 1.
Two complementary pieces of information: the dimension of clay particles may be reduced by crushing during preparation: thus clay can become dangerous because of the presence of very small crystallites . The same type of clay can contain different compensation ions and be better adapted to certain uses.
- 2.
The object of pedology is the study of soils.
- 3.
In a connection between two ions of opposed charges, the negative ion brings an electron to supplement the external layer of the positive ion. In a covalent bond, generally between atoms of similar electronegativity, each dependent atom shares an electron of one of its external layers to form a doublet of common electrons binding the two atoms.
- 4.
The quantity of dependent water contained in a clay is measured on a sample whose initial mass is stabilized at 20°C before any rise in temperature. For certain very absorbing clays, it is necessary to specify the pressure and the ambient water content.
- 5.
Let us take the case of a cube on side a: its volume is a 3 and its surface is 6a 2. The relationship between surface and volume is equal to 6/a. This ratio takes a high value as “a” is smaller. See Appendix D.
- 6.
The thickness of the layers, by including free space between two layers, is 0.7, 1 or 1.4 nm, according to the type of clay; refer to Sect. 5.1.1.
- 7.
Mesoscopic: Belonging to an order of magnitude located between the limits of the macroscopic world and that of atoms and molecules; on a scale where the structural description of the matter presents characteristics and properties which concern both quantic and traditional physics.
- 8.
It is obvious that these two ions are not the only ones able to intervene; nevertheless they are most common.
- 9.
The number of associated layers to form a particle answers a statistical law, suitable for the sample, known as the function of distribution of the number of layers. This law is in close relationship to the conditions of genesis of the mineral kaolinite .
- 10.
Bentonite is a rock (and not clay) that mainly contains clay minerals of smectite type.
- 11.
The “field of coherence” defines the zone inside which the parameters controlling the properties remain the same. It is thus necessary to add a qualifier to define a field of coherence. This field of coherence is also where a homogeneous reaction mechanism prevails; beyond this limit it can vary (e.g., if the local composition in exchangeable ions is different).
- 12.
The law of mass action determines the balance of systems in contact with one another and between which an exchange of matter is possible.
- 13.
In scientific papers one also finds the “barrier effect” which re-covers the same concept.
- 14.
By the use of phyllosilicates care concerning serious ulcerous states such as Buruli ulcers can be approached. The results are sufficiently convincing to justify more complete clinical trials.
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Rautureau, M., Figueiredo Gomes, C.d.S., Liewig, N., Katouzian-Safadi, M. (2017). General Information on Clay Applications for Health and Well-Being. In: Clays and Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42884-0_6
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