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Aromatherapy Brief History

By: Brad J. Tamitnowson

Article Word Count: 565 words  [Comments (0)]
Total Views: 5 Views





Aromatherapy History





The roots and fundamentals of Aromatherapy can be traced back


to nearly 3000 years before Christ, when the ancient Egyptians


used the basics of Aromatherapy in their daily lives. Historical


records show that Egyptians burned incense made from aromatic


woods and other herbs to honor their gods. Also royal harems and


guest houses used many aromatic oils very profusely to satisfy


many important guests. Aromatherapy has its roots in the most


ancient healing and therapeutic practices. Medicinal plants are


used to cure many ailments and used in many sacred rituals to


evoke different states of consciousness.





Elaborate religious ceremonies were performed in Egyptian


temples, where the dead King was mummified and surrounded with


exotic essential oils. Egyptians believed very firmly that


essential oils have an unusual preserving property when added


with other spices. Embalming was one of the principal uses of


aromatherapy, preserving the tissue of the bodies for thousands


of years. The oils and resins used were rich and potent, that in


the 17th century mummies were sold in Europe and doctors


distilled them for use in their medicines. Aromatherapy truly


emerged from the smoky temples of Egypt 6,000 years ago. Egypt


was the birthplace of medicine, pharmaceutics, cosmetics and


perfumery. Trading was flourishing and traders arrived for trade


from all over the world by land and sea to deliver flowers,


herbs and plants. Priestesses and priests strictly supervised


the delicate preparations in the temples and palaces, reading


formulas & chanting incantations and hymns, as substances were


measured & combined with ultimate precision. Purification


processes went on for months until the right, perfect subtle


blend was achieved.





The use of aromatherapy spread from Egypt to Israel, China,


India and the Mediterranean. Every culture, from the most


backward to the most modern, developed own set of practices.


Greek physicians and military surgeons were employed by the


Romans every where in the empire. After the fall of the Roman


Empire, the science spread to the Arab countries, where medicine


men devoted them to the ancient art of alchemy, perfecting the


art of distillation and extraction.





For many centuries essential oils were the only remedies for


epidemic diseases and conditions. During the dreaded Black


Plague, very few became ill, who in fact were associated with


perfumeries and glove industries where these oils were in


profuse use. During the 19th century, with the development of


modern science, all forms of herbal medicine disappeared until


the 1920s, when French chemist Gatefosse revived the art, giving


it the name Aromatherapy. India was one of the few countries


where the tradition was never lost, Avurveda being the most


ancient medical practice in the world today. Aromatherapy is now


used in hospitals, offices, clinics and homes all over the


world.





Aromatherapy acts as a bridge between the new and old; most of


the industries use these oils for various blends and


concoctions, which provide cure and relief for a number of


complications.





Richmond Va Massage


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