MPSC State Service 2019 · CSAT · Question 19 of 72

Passage: Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for their therapeutic properties. An essential oil is a highly odiferous substance found in particular aromatic plants. The oil usually bears the name of the plant from which it is derived, for example, jasmine or lavender, though there are a number of exceptions, such as neroli, which is extracted from orange blossom. The oil is stored as microdroplets in tiny sacs or glands. According to the species, essential oil is obtained from the flowers, leaves, stems, roots, fruits or seeds, and sometimes from the whole plant. Certainbarks and woods are a source, yielding gums and resins from which the essential oil is extracted by distillation. Essential oils are not greasy like vegetable oils (for example olive, corn, soya). They are light, volatile and made up of complex mixtures of organic chemicals (acids, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, terpenes and phenols). Every essential oil used in aromatherapy has its own specific healing properties. Most of the oils are antiseptic to some degree, and will combat micro-organisms. A number of oils can be used to calm the nervous system, others reduce inflammation, or ease aches and pains, benefit particular organs and systems of the body, uplift the spirits - the list could go on and on. Essential oils are usually diluted and applied to the skin, or inhaled. However, some schools of aromatherapy advocate taking essential oils internally. There is considerable controversy surrounding this. Personally, I think it is safer not to ingest essential oils unless directed by a qualified herbalist or herbal medical practitioner. External application and inhalation are usually considered faster and more effective methods of use than ingestion. Mouthwashes or gargles are also safe, provided they are not swallowed. An important characteristic of essential oils is that they quickly penetrate the layers of the skin and enter the bloodstream. They are, therefore, fast-acting. But the oils are very strong and not generally applied undiluted to the skin. As they readily dissolve in fatty vegetable oils (not in water), they are conveniently used in massage oils, creams and lotions. Clinical tests have shown that essential oils enter the bloodstream more quickly by inhalation than either through the skin or orally. “All essential oils are named after their plant of origin” - This statement is

Reading Comprehension

1. ACompletely true
2. BCompletely false
3. CPartially trueCorrect
4. DNone of the above