Conserving Musk Deer the Uses of Musk and Europe's Role in its Trade (pdf, 360 kb)

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of the associations of companies knew of any company still using natural musk today, although this does

not rule out the possibility of use of natural musk, not only in France in some classic and expensive

perfumes, as mentioned, but also in special perfumes created for private individuals and not otherwise for

sale.

In Germany, four national associations of scent manufacturing companies from the perfume and cosmetics

industry were consulted.  They affirmed that, in Germany, natural musk has practically disappeared in the

perfume and scent industry because of the  high price, animal welfare and species conservation concerns,

and the difficulty in procuring natural musk (personnel of scent-manufacturing company associations,

pers. comm., March 1998).  None could name a company operating in Germany or in Europe as a whole

that still used natural musk.  In France, three national associations of scent manufacturing companies in

the perfume industry were consulted.  According to their information a few kilogrammes of natural musk

are indeed still in use, in the French perfume industry, in old traditional perfumes 

(

personnel of scent-

manufacturing company  associations, pers. comms, May 1998).  They mentioned the high price of natural

musk as being the main reason for the decline in its use in France.

Musk use in perfumeries outside Europe

Shanghai is known for its musk-based perfumes, which are widely used  (J.A. Mills, pers. comm., October

1998).

According to details from associations of scent-manufacturers and A. Vaisman (pers. comm., March 1998),

the perfume industries in several Arabian countries and in Russia may be using natural musk in their

products.  The results of the investigation of legal global trade of natural musk do not, however, indicate

any current market for natural musk for perfumes manufactured in Arabian countries.

Use of musk in homeopathy

Homeopathy is still a relatively recent “alternative” discipline in Western medicine.  It was developed in

the early nineteenth century by Samuel Hahnemann in Germany and is today practised worldwide.  An

important principle of homeopathy is to prescribe very dilute doses of an ingredient which, in a healthy

person, would produce symptoms like those of the disease to be cured.  A second important principle is

that of the potentisation of substances, according to which they are mixed with a medium, diluted to a

certain ratio, and shaken or ground, so that at very high potencies of the medicine not a single molecule of

the source substance may be present.  For the homeopath, the non-material transfer of energy of the source

substances to a medium is sufficient to cure the disease.  High-potency homeopathic medicines are

generally believed to be more effective than those of lower-potency (Leeser, 1961).

Musk from musk deer Moschus spp. was among the substances known to Hahnemann and he was aware

of its effect in homeopathic terms (Hahnemann, 1826).  Musk has been further tested since, in drug trials

on healthy persons (Jörg, 1825; Leeser, 1961 and Müller, 1995) and is believed to affect the nervous

system, blood circulation and sex organs, and to have effects on psychic, sensory and motor functions.

Musk is applied in homeopathy as a nerve treatment (nervinum) for hysteria, euphoria-like conditions and

faints with other associated symptoms (Boericke, 1972; Dewey, 1991; Mandl, 1992; Mezger, 1964 and

Stauffer, 1984).  Substances with similar effects used in homeopathy include castoreum, platinum, crocus,

amber and valerian.

Musk is a rarely used homeopathic medicine (homeopathic manufacturers, pers. comms, March 1998).

Like all strong-smelling nerve treatments, musk has only a transitory effect.  Leeser (1961) writes that

while musk is of short-term help in cases of hysteria-like attacks, it does not remedy the neurotic causes

of the suffering.

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Germany has a much longer tradition of homeopathy than other European countries, and consequently

there are more homeopathy companies based in Germany than elsewhere on the continent.  The

Kommission “D” für Arzneimittel der homöopathischen Therapierichtung (D Commission for Drugs used

in Homeopathic Treatment Methods) (1988) has published a monograph on musk, which lists nervous

dysfunction among the indications for application of musk.  Medicines containing musk are prescribed in

Germany in the form of drops, as tablets, or by injection.

Nine manufacturers of homeopathic medicine from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the UK and one

association of companies producing homeopathic medicines from Germany were consulted about their use

of musk in homeopathic medicines in spring 1998.  These companies have subsidiaries in Austria,

Portugal, USA, Australia, South Africa, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.  In Germany, about a dozen

manufacturers reported using musk in homeopathic medicines (homeopathic manufacturers, pers. comms,

March 1998).  Manufacturers in the UK and Belgium claimed that very little musk was used in their

homeopathic medicines, while the Swiss reported using very little or no musk.  

Where musk was used in homeopathic medicines, companies usually produced several different medicines

that contained musk, sometimes differing in potency.  According to interviews with these companies, musk

is processed in its pure form or in combination with other substances.  The lowest potency that is commer-

cially obtainable is a so-called D3, containing musk in a dilution of 1:1000.  At this dilution, only a few

milligrammes (mg) occur in a gramme of solution or in a tablet.  The more commonly employed potency

is a D6 (dilution of 1:10

6

).  There are medicines containing musk with a potency of D12 (1:10

12

dilution)

or even much higher.  In each case, the medicines contain only tiny traces of musk.  A few large manufac-

turing companies in Germany reported consuming more than five grammes annually and some substan-

tially less, amounting to a total of a maximum of 50 g of musk per annum for the entire German

production, the equivalent of two musk glands

.  

The actual volume of use is probably lower than this

maximum. In other countries, the demand for musk for processing homeopathic medicines is believed to

be significantly lower than in Germany.

Most manufacturing companies using musk for homeopathic

remedies stated that they had purchased the musk many years

ago and were using old stocks.  Only one firm expressed an

interest in newly-imported musk.  Since the homeopathic

industry attaches much importance to verifying the source of

its products and would favour receiving a certificate that could

testify to the origin of musk, it seems possible that homeo-

pathic drug manufacturers would be keen to purchase musk

from farms in China, India or Russia in future.  In this way,

the authenticity of the musk could be guaranteed as best as

possible, as well as the health of the musk deer supplying it,

since it would not be killed when the musk was removed. 

A number of manufacturers in Germany and the UK foresee

an increase in the use of homeopathic medicines that contain

natural substances, particularly in prescription-free medicines.

However, future demand for musk in homeopathic drugs is expected to remain static because musk

medicines are only prescribed in  highly specific cases, which are not common (homeopathic manufac-

turers, pers. comms, March 1998). 

In Germany, homeopathic medicines that contain musk are freely obtainable.  In the UK, such medicines

are available on prescription only.

Homeopathic pills containing musk

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