Herbs and Aromatherapy - History

Aromatheraphy is the art and science of treating human illness with essential oils. These volatile essences of plants and flowers have been used for healing for many thousand of years, allied with touch, taste and smell. The history of Aromatheraphy is a history of humanity is relationship with the natural world and our own five senses.

What is Aromatheraphy?
Aromatheraphy is a modern name for the ancient knowledge of healing and improving health using fragrant, natural ingredients. These ingredients, called essential oils, are found in herb, plants, flowers, fruits and the bark, roots or resin of some trees.
Essential oils give the aroma to the plant, but they also contain dozens of complex chemicals that seem to do everything from beautifying skin of speeding healing to putting you to sleep or numbing a headache even if you think you have never come across these oils before, all of us are affected.
By them each day, every time you peel a pomelo, the essential oil squirts out of the tiny pockets in the peel and, because it is so volatile, instantly, evaporates into the air releasing its bittersweet, tangy, citrus smell. And whether you notice or not, the pomelo oil has a refreshing but relaxing effect.
When you take flowers to someone who is ill in hospital you are using Aromatheraphy to help them feel better. The essential oils that give the smell to a bouquet of jasmine, roses, geranium and lavender, for instance, all contain chemicals that relax the nervous system and instantly improve spirits.
When you use pure essential oils though, the beneficial properties are more concentrated, and have a greater effect on both mind and body than you get from just sniffing a bunch of flowers. So learning how you can use these essential oils with give you the means to be healthier, happier and more in control of every area of you life.

Modern History
Up until the early 1900s, essential oils were the strongest medicine available. A shift began with the development of powerful coal tar the derivatives and preparation. This was the beginning of pharmacology and allopathic medicine. The modern father of Aromatheraphy is considered to be Dr.Rene Maurice Gattefosse. He was a French chemist who worked in his family, perfume laboratory. One day
When he suffered a severe burn from an explosion in the laboratory, he was quickly thrust his injured hand into a container of lavender oil and was amazed to notice the immediate decrease in pain and subsequently observed a rapid healing with no scarring. So he was impressed by this experience that he dedicated a rapid healing with no scarring. So impressed was he by this experience that he dedicated the rest of his life to researching, discovering the therapeutic properties of essential oils on the most scientific basic. He first joined the word Aromatheraphy and published a book by that name in 1937.
A French medical doctor, Dr. Jean Valnet, was greatly influenced by Gattefosse is work. During the Second World War, he experienced success treating war injuries with antiseptic essential oil solution. In 1964, he published a book called "Aromatheraphy Treatment of Illnesses" by the Essence of plants. And he responsible for training over 1000 French Physicians currently using essentials oils in their practice. Essential oils have been accepted as valid therapy in France, and a prescription for essential oils can be filled at the local pharmacy and paid for by insurance.
Numerous experiments have proven the antiseptic qualities of essential oils (i.e. thyme is eight time more powerful than phenol). Russian researchers have verified the stimulation of liver digestive processes by rose oil Italian researchers have verified the psychological effects of essential oil. The anti-viral and anti-fungal properties create the most exciting application possibilities as medicine has little to offer for the treatment of virus. One of Dr. Valnet is students, Margaret Mallory, further developed the modern use of essential oils in massage therapy and skin care in England.
Victoria Edwards, Kust Schnaubelt and Marcelle Lavaber founded the American Aromatheraphy Association in 1987. They and Robert Tissrand are largely responsible for the spread of Aromatheraphy in the United States.
The use of Aromatheraphy continues to increase in the U.S., as people become aware of the limitation of modern medicine, the importance of self-care, and the high potency of essential oils.

From : www.thaiherbclub.com