ORIGIN OF AROMATHERAPY
The oldest use of aroma oils is known to be as old as 6000 years back when Egyptian physician Imhotep, the then God of Medicine and Healing, recommended fragrant oils for bathing and massaging. In 4,500 B.C. Egyptians used myrrh and cedarwood oils for embalming their dead, and 6,500 years later, the preserved mummies prove the fact discovered by modern researchers that the cedar wood contains natural fixative and anti-bacterial solid and anti-septic properties. Hippocrates, the Greek father of Medicine, recommended regular aroma therapy baths and scented massages. This is what he effectively used to ward off the plague from Athens. Romans utilised essential oils for pleasure and to cure pain and also for their famous aromatic baths and massages. Emperor New being indulgent in orgies, feasts, and fragrances employed, frequently rose to cure his headaches and indigestion and to maintain his high spirits while enjoying amusements. During the great plague in London in 1665, people burnt bundles of lavender, cedar wood and cypress in the streets and carried posies of the same plants as their only defence to combat infectious diseases. Aroma therapy received a broader acceptance in the early 20th Century. In the 1930s Rene-Maurice-Gatte Fosse, a French chemist, dipped his burnt hand in lavender oil. To his surprise, the wound healed very quickly without any infection or scarring. He did considerable research on various oils and their therapeutic and psychotherapeutic properties. Dr Jean Volnet, a French army surgeon, extensively used essential oils in World War II. It was Madame Marguerite Murry who gave a holistic approach to aroma oils by experimenting with them for individual problems. Today, research has proven the multiple uses of aroma oils. Medical research in recent years has uncovered the fact that the odours we smell have a significant impact on the way we feel. Smells act directly on the brain like a drug, according to scientific research. For instance, smelling lavender increases alpha wave frequency in the back of the head, and this state is associated with relaxation. Essential oils like spiritual healing (Reiki, Pranic, Magnified), homoeopathic, herbal and flower remedies have a life force that vibrates within the body, and the benefit exerted is too subtle to evaluate.