aromatherapy
The History of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the science of using essential herbal oils in the treatment of illnesses. The term itself comes from the French word “aromathérapie” which was coined by the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé who was the publisher of the first book titled “Aromatherapy” in 1937. Thus the term aromatherapy was not coined until the 20th Century.
The roots of Aromatherapy can be traced back over 6000 years before the birth of Christ when the use of aromatics was recorded for the first time in human history. The history of aromatherapy is linked strongly to the development of aromatic medicine. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils.
In the Dordogne of France there are cave paintings found to be 18,000 years old that depict the use of plants for medicinal purposes. The origins of aromatherapy have been lost with time before the keeping of any records. It is although believed that crude forms of distillation, the main method that essential oils are now obtained, were practiced thousands of years ago in Persia, Egypt and India. Distillation was used mainly for the extraction of exotic flower waters.
The medicinal use of plants and their extracts in India has been continuous from 5,000 years ago to the present day. One of the oldest known books on plants is Indian and is called “Vedas”. This book highlights the various uses of plants for medicinal and religious purposes. The human was seen as part of nature and the preparation was considered a sacred practice. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine practiced since ancient times.
There is more information available about the development of plant use in Egypt. The Nile Valley became known as the Cradle of Medicine. Some of the plants brought to this area were cedarwood, cinnamon, frankcincense and myrrh. In Egypt 5,000 years ago, there was a strong link between perfumery and religion. Each God was allotted a particular fragrance. It
Aromatherapy is the science of using essential herbal oils in the treatment of illnesses. The term itself comes from the French word “aromathérapie” which was coined by the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé who was the publisher of the first book titled “Aromatherapy” in 1937. Thus the term aromatherapy was not coined until the 20th Century.
The roots of Aromatherapy can be traced back over 6000 years before the birth of Christ when the use of aromatics was recorded for the first time in human history. The history of aromatherapy is linked strongly to the development of aromatic medicine. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils.
In the Dordogne of France there are cave paintings found to be 18,000 years old that depict the use of plants for medicinal purposes. The origins of aromatherapy have been lost with time before the keeping of any records. It is although believed that crude forms of distillation, the main method that essential oils are now obtained, were practiced thousands of years ago in Persia, Egypt and India. Distillation was used mainly for the extraction of exotic flower waters.
The medicinal use of plants and their extracts in India has been continuous from 5,000 years ago to the present day. One of the oldest known books on plants is Indian and is called “Vedas”. This book highlights the various uses of plants for medicinal and religious purposes. The human was seen as part of nature and the preparation was considered a sacred practice. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine practiced since ancient times.
There is more information available about the development of plant use in Egypt. The Nile Valley became known as the Cradle of Medicine. Some of the plants brought to this area were cedarwood, cinnamon, frankcincense and myrrh. In Egypt 5,000 years ago, there was a strong link between perfumery and religion. Each God was allotted a particular fragrance. It