History of aromatherapy

The history of aromatherapy or the use of volatile plant oils for improving physical and mental well-being extends back for thousands of years.  The ancient Chinese burned incense including essential oils for balance and harmony in their lives.  The Egyptians invented a crude distillation machine which used a straight rather than a coiled cooling pipe.  The main product of distillation, according to the history of aromatherapy among the Egyptians was oil of cedarwood which was used along with oils of clove, myrrh, nutmeg and cinnamon for embalming the dead.  Tombs opened even in the 20 century retain the faint scent of the embalming oils.  Except for oil of cedarwood, the Egyptians probably used infused oils. 

According to the history of aromatherapy, the Egyptians may have coined the term perfume from per fumum, a Latin term meaning through the smoke. In addition to fragrance, which the men used as freely as the women, the Egyptians used herbal concoctions and infused oils for medicinal, cosmetic and spiritual purposes.

The next milestone in the history of aromatherapy was provided by the Greeks.  They believed that perfume was invented by the gods and provided as gift to man, but also recognized and used the therapeutic and aromatic properties of plants.  Hippocrates used fumigations for medicinal purposes, and a perfume known as megaleion that contained myrrh in a fatty-oil base was used both for its aroma and for its healing qualities.

The Roman contribution to the history of aromatherapy included a text which described properties of over 500 plants.  The 11th through the 14th century saw the invention of the coiled cooling pipe, distillation of lavender for medicinal purposes, the birth of the pharmaceutical industry and the plague of the Black Death, which was fought in part at least by the use of herbal preparations.

During the succeeding centuries, more essential oils were distilled, further understanding of the nature and use of plant compounds as medicines, growth in the perfume industry and its separation as a separate and highly respected field, and development of synthetic chemicals and drugs.  The latter was the foundation of modern pharmaceuticals and medicine.

In the 1920’s a fortunate accident led to the comprehensive text on the subject of aromatherapy known as Gattefosse’s Aromatherapy which is still in print today and widely understood as one of the major authorities on the subject. One other recognized text which represents the accumulated knowledge in the history of aromatherapy is The Art of Aromatherapy written by aromatherapist Tisserand