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Aromatherapy Through The Ages
The Egyptians burned essential woods, herbs and spices. They believed as was typical of many religious cultures that the smoke carried their wishes to the gods in heaven. Ancient stone tablets up to 6000 years old show the Egyptians using oils for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Oils were distilled from plants in similar ways as modern aromatherapy does today. The Ancient Chinese in conjunction with the egyptians were also using herbal oil remedies. Texts date back from 3000 BC show catalogs of hundreds of plants and their uses. The essential oils were used in a similar way, imbued with spirituality by burning them in incense and using them for massage. The Chinese and Egyptian aromatherapy practices are believed to be the oldest in the world, predating the other ancient civilizations, although there are others who have known specific prophylactic properties of aromatic plants. The Greeks inherited Egyptian aromatherapy practices and combined them with their own. Ancient thinker and pharmacologist Pedanius Dioscorides wrote a book about healing with herbs “De Materia Medica”. This book was very popular in Europe for 12 centuries. Hypocrites being the father of modern medicine, and he was known to use herbal aromas with medicinal properties. This knowledge of plant phytology was consolidated and transported by the Romans during their warfaring international progress, and wast then passed down through the ages in Europe. During some of the roman exchange of information to the Persian cultures, Arabic perfumers used the opportunity to consolidate their science and medicine and improved aromatherapy science. They were the first to apply steam distillation to extract essential oil from rose petals. The invention is mainly credited to Avicenna, philosopher and a physician of Middle East who described more than 800 botanical medicines. In his book “The Canon of Medicine” he described distillation techniques from Persia and the Middle East to extract herbal oils. These were brought back into Europe, along with many Arabic perfumes with soldiers who returned from the crusades. The Catholic Church sought to gain total control over Europe from around 1300AD. They believed that illness was the punishment of God, on came the dark ages and most medical information was suppresed. Most medicine was treated by bleeding and prayer. Herbal treatments, as well as other natural treatments were a knowledge of divine power only to be retained by the church.Together with a witch hunt of anyone practicing herbal arts and medicine, any craft was thought of as heathen, and driven underground upon fear of excecution. The science of aromatherapy would have to wait many centuries to be re-explored. In the 17th and 18th centuries, various herbs were used for wigs and other cosmetic purposes. In the 19th century, there was some limited scientific research on certain herbs' ability to treat illnesses. But, it wasn't until the early 20th century that aromatherapy was born. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Information on Aromatherapy and Essential oils provided by BeautyApothecary.Info |
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