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Aromatherapy, A history
Aromatherapy is a complete psychosomatic system of healing, a holistic approach to health and well-being by the use of aromas - scents derived from the plant kingdom. It can be described as an art as well as a science; an art because of the intuitive, creative and aesthetic aspects of preparing special blends for each individual person, and a science because it rests on sound scientific knowledge.
The use of aromatic substances in healing, far from being a newly discovered therapy, has been with mankind since the beginning of time. There is not only anecdotal but also practical evidence of the use of plant essences be many ancient civilizations all over our planet.
China, India and Japan
The Chinese were amongst the first to discover and use the medicinal properties of plants, This medical knowledge goes back to the third millennium BC when the Emperor Chen Nang (circa 2800 BC) in his book Pen Tsao revealed the usage of no less than 100 plants, including aniseed, canela, ginger and curcuma.
In traditional Indian Ayervedic Medicine, the sacred book, thought to have been produced by Brahma, revealed that the secret of long life was related to the use of aromatic plants not only as foood but also as medicine. The first known medicinal oil was extracted from the neem tree of India: many parts of the tree have been used since at least 4000 BC and the spiritual association made with it is clear from the Harappan seals of the Indus Valley civilization. The atter of rose, essence of rose, is thought to have been discovered by the Indian Empress Nur Jehan Begum, in 1612.
Ancient Egypt
In Egypt, from about 4236 BC, the first year of their calender, to 30 BC, the use of aromatic plants went through some considerable changes. At the beginning, only Pharaohs were considered close enough to the Devine to use essences whcih were kept be the priests. Around 2450 BC, Phan Hotep was telling Egyptian men the proper way to conduct their marriages: 'If thou art a man of standing thou shouldst fill her belly, clothe her back and ointment is the prescription of her body'. Plant substance were transported by large caravans and commanded gold prices - among them, Cedarwood from the Lebanon, Myrrh from Ethepia and Somalia, Roses from Damascas, Labdanum and Nard.
Immenohthep, the famous architect of the saqqarah pyramid, physician of the third dynasty to Pharaoh Djoser, was famed throughout the ancient world for his wisdom and great knowledge of medicine. He is said to have obtained his medicines by using aromatic plants - mainly aniseed, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and olibanum. In later dynasties he was known as Ptah-Hotep, and his pyramid as the step pyramid. The Egyptians mastered the production of aromatic products, such as floral waters, cosmetic products, preparations destined for embalming, ceremonial oils, ointments and odoriforous resins symbolic of the eternal way.
Babylonians and Hebrews
The aristocrats of ancient Babylon believed that at palace banquets the aroma was as important an element as the food. Guests would have their individual 'cassoulette', incense burner, at their place setting.
The Hebrews inherited their practices from the Egyptians and put great emphasis on personal hygiene. In the Bible, Proverbs 27:9 we are told, 'Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a mans friend by hearty counsel'. And in Revelations 5:8 it says 'that vials full of odours are the prayers of Saints'. In the book of Exodus, Jehovah gave Moses the formulation of an incense and an annointing oil destined for devine service.
King Solomon (960 BC) had his famous Temple in Jerusalem built of Lebonese cedarwood and stone. Precious Myrrh and incense were two of the Wise mens offerings. Frankincense is a profoundly spiritual oil and Myrrh is a healing agent due to its antibacterial properties.
Phoenicians and Greeks
The aristocrats of ancient Babylon believed that at palace banquets the aroma was as important an element as the food. Guests would have their individual 'cassoulette', incense burner, at their place setting.
Phoenician merchants brought back from their trips to the Orient, cinnamon, frankincense, ginger and myrrh. Aesculapius, God and King of Thesalia, was a renowned physician. His two daughters, Hygiea and Panaceae have always represented the two main approaches to therapeutics: Hygea, the goddess ruler of Preservation and Health, and Panaceae, the Goddess ruler of curative medicine.
Along these lines, Hippocrates of Cos (460 - 377 BC) compiled all the medical knowledge of his time into 72 books called Corpus Hippocraticum. In separating illness from the magical, he recognised natural inluences and proposed a basic principle of natural forces. Hippocrates recommended the use of aromatics for use as food and medicine, as well as a fragrant massage every day for good health.
Gallen (AD 130 - 200), physician to several Roman Emperors, contributed a great deal to the history of Pharmacology. Galen's method of prescribing pays homage to its originator who provided a reference for the practising physician.
North and South America
The Incas, Aztecs and Mayans possessed a perfect knowledge of their regional medicinal plants as well as drugs and toxic plants. Traditional medicine possessed empirical knowledge which later science confirmed.
Research into the efficacy of aromatic plants confirmed their traditional usage in 80 per cent of cases.
Since antiquity native peoples have utilized resins naturally, extracting them from trees for the treatment of infections and other various lesions. Amongst them are Copaiba Balsam from the Amazon (used for countless poultices), tolu balsam, Peru balsam, sassafras, rosewood and Guaiac wood.
Indiginous North American tribes also had a wealth of knowledge of plant medicines, many of which were adopted by the first settlers in America. Plants, such as sweet grass and sage bush, were used not only as medicines but also as sacred and ceremonial incenses.
Evolution of Aromatherapy
Avicenna, a Persian poet, philosopher, scholar and physician, wrote his 'Canon of Medicine' around 1000 AD and re-established steam distillation. The earliest that we have still knowledge of was invented by an alchemist who worked in Italy during the third century known as 'Maria Prophetissima'.
Alchemy reached its peak with Teophrastus Bombastus von Hohenzolen, better known as Paracelsus. He was a famous sixteenth century physician, surgeon and chemist who established the correspondances between the universe (macro-cosmos) and different parts of the human body (micro-cosmos).
The earliest scientific research into aromatic oils was carried out in France by Chamberland (1887) whose work was validated by Cadac and Meunier teo years later. Martindale (1910) classified essential oils according to their antiseptic power related to their phenolic content.
R.M. Gattefossè, believed to have coined the phrase , was a chemist. His story is aromtherapeutic history - he burnt his hand while conducting an experiment in his laboratory and as a reflex action he immersed it in a nearby container of Lavender essential oil. Gattefossè found the pain was lessened and the healing process more pronounced from this application of lavender. The scientific papers and books of Gattefossè Guenther, Gidlemeister and Hofman Valnet, and their followers confirmed the therapeutic value of essential oils.
Dr Vivian Lunny
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