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History of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is considered by some people as a ‘new age’ therapy & they are sceptical towards its use & effectiveness. The principles of Aromatherapy have been used since man first roamed the earth. It has evolved through the ages, as has man. Essential oils are distilled from plants, this is mans way of extracting nature’s own healing mechanism. By using these plant oils we are truly going back to nature & re-discovering the knowledge our ancestors possessed & used. Early man burnt aromatic plant materials & would probably have noticed the effect the different aromas had upon their moods, relaxed, happy, excited or drowsy. They would have also noticed which plants the animals of the day would eat or rub themselves against to heal them. Animals instinctively know which plants will be helpful to them. The Greeks discovered that the aromas of certain flowers were relaxing or stimulating, they captured these aromas in Olive oil which were used for cosmetic & medicinal purposes. Greek soldiers would carry Myrrh in pouches to treat wounds inflicted in battle. Hippocrates, who is known as the ‘father of medicine’ wrote ‘Let medicine be your food & your food be your medicine.’ He valued discernment, self-effacement & devotion in physicians. These values are still important & taught to medical students today, know as the ‘Hippocratic Oath’. Little is known what was happening in Europe, as there are no detailed records, but they would have used locally grown herbs, Lavender, Thyme & Rosemary. In Medieval times, plant material was strewn onto floors & pomanders ‘oranges embedded with cloves’ were popular. The people at this time believed that infections were transmitted by smell & the aromatic materials were used to protect them. From the 17th Century, new experiments were taking place & chemical substances began to be used in medicine, some of which were extremely harmful. Selenium was discovered at this time & later in the 18th & 19th Centuries, caffeine, quinine & morphine was discovered & is still in use today. The discovery of synthetic materials led to plant materials being used less but had the advantage of medicines being easily carried as people moved around. It is these discoveries that have led to the medicines we use today. Aromatherapy is becoming more popular & the benefits are being recognised as we for alternative or complimentary ways for our medicinal care & we are re-discovering natures healing mechanism.
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