|
A brief history of Aromatherapy
Once upon a time
Aromatherapy has a very long history, being mentioned in the Bible and used by the ancient civilization of China through to Egypt. In ancient Egypt, these herbal oils were used to embalm the dead while in the Bible, it was stated that the prophet Moses made anointing oils from calamus, cinnamon, myrrh and cassia. It was also used by the Greeks for medicine, the Romans for beauty and was used as a form of antiseptic during a plague in Europe. Modern way of distilling the oils was introduced by a renowned Muslim scientist, Ibn Sina. His work was instrumental in extracting the oils from plants effectively for maximum effect and concentration.
History of Aromatherapy -- Modern aromatherapy
Modern Aromatherapy that we used today however stems from the work of a French chemist, Réné Gattefossé. Like other great inventions, modern Aromatherapy started with an accident. In 1910, when he burnt his hand in an experiment, the scientist applied lavender oil to the burnt skin. To his surprise, the oil took away the redness and healed the hand quickly with little scarring. After the incident, he decided to start a research on the healing properties of other oils.
History of Aromatherapy -- Further research
The use of essential oils for medicine was further researched by another French doctor, Dr. Jean Valnet. Although essential oils had been used during World War 1 to treat wounded soldiers, Dr. Jean’s research had opened the eyes of the medical community in the country to the fact that the oils are not placebos but could have certain healing properties as well. Up until now some French doctors still administer these oils along with the conventional medicine.
Can't find what you're looking for about the History of Aromatherapy?
|
|
Learn aromatherapy from the best
Enjoy the calming effect
Get essential