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A Brief History of AromatherapyOnce Upon a TimeAromatherapy has a long history. It has been mentioned in the Bible and has been used by the ancient civilizations of China, Egypt and others. The Bible states that the prophet Moses made anointing oils from calamus, cinnamon, myrrh and cassia. In ancient Egypt, herbal oils were used to embalm the dead. The Greeks used it for medicine, while the Romans used it for beauty. Aromatherapy oils were also used as antiseptics during a plague in Europe. The modern method of distilling the oils was introduced by a renowned Muslim scientist, Ibn Sina. His work was instrumental in effectively extracting the oils from plants for maximum effect and concentration.Modern AromatherapyModern aromatherapy that we use today stems from the work of a French chemist, Rene Gattefosse. Like many other great inventions, modern aromatherapy began with an accident. When Gattefosse burnt his hand in an experiment in 1910, he applied lavender oil on the burnt skin. To his surprise, the oil relieved the redness and healed the hand quickly with little scarring. Following the incident, Gattefosse began research on the healing properties of other oils.Further ResearchAnother French doctor, Dr. Jean Valnet, further researched the use of essential oils for medicine. Although essential oils had been used during World War 1 to treat wounded soldiers, Dr. Jean's research opened the eyes of the country's medical community to the fact that the oils are not mere placebos but could have healing properties as well. Some French doctors still administer these oils alongside conventional medicine.Also Read:
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