| The ancient Egyptians are generally regarded as the | | | | taken my all doctors today was named) was the |
| founders of aromatherapy (aroma meaning fragrance | | | | first to study essential oils and their effects. He |
| and therapy meaning treatment), and dates back | | | | believed that daily aromatic baths and scented |
| 6000 years. They used aromatic herbs and oils in | | | | massage could promote good health. |
| their religious, embalming and burial rites. It was | | | | Theophrastus wrote of the healing properties of |
| believed that some scents could promote tranquillity | | | | "aromatic" plants, and for 1200 years a book written |
| and raise higher consciousness. Myrrh, frankincense, | | | | by Greek physician Pedacius Dioscorides on herbal |
| cedar wood, cinnamon and juniper were all known to | | | | medicine was the Western world's standard medical |
| have been used for mummification. Jars of herbs and | | | | reference book, many of the recipes are still used in |
| oils were found in the tomb of Tut'ankhamun. The | | | | aromatherapy today. |
| Egyptians continued to refine the use of herbs and | | | | The Romans became well known for taking scented |
| oils in medicine, perfumes, cosmetics and incense. | | | | baths followed by aromatic oil massages, but |
| The ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese all used | | | | throughout this time the methods of distillation were |
| aromatic oils. The Chinese were also using aromatic | | | | very crude and basic it wasn't until the 10th century |
| herbs and plants in their religious rites about the same | | | | that a Persian physician named Avicenna perfected |
| time as the Egyptians, and the oldest book in China, c | | | | the art of distillation by inventing the refrigerated coil. |
| 2,700 BC, written by Shen Nung, contains cures | | | | This was a major breakthrough and was so |
| involving over 300 different herbs. | | | | advanced that it has barely altered in 900 years. |
| The ancient Greeks used aromatic oils for medicines | | | | In early Europe 'perfumes from Arabia', were brought |
| and cosmetics, and it was the Greeks who took | | | | back by the crusading Knights along with the |
| medicine to new heights around 2000 years ago. | | | | knowledge of distillation. Some wealthy people |
| Asclepius is the earliest known Greek physician, | | | | installed their own still and captured their own |
| practiced around 1200 BC who combined the use of | | | | essential oils which they used as medicines and |
| herbs and surgery. His reputation was such that he | | | | perfumes. They used the perfumes on their body's |
| was deified as the god of healing in Greek mythology | | | | and clothes to disguise the fact that they did not |
| after his death. | | | | wash. They also carried little bouquets of herbs called |
| Hypocrite's c 400 BC, who is regarded as the "Father | | | | tussie mussies to prevent catching illnesses and to |
| of Medicine" and (after whom the Hippocratic Oath | | | | disguise the smell of the filthy city streets. |