| It is thought that the Chinese were the
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| | pharmaceutical industry commenced
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| first civilization to use aromatic plants
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| | encouraging great distillation of
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| for health related reasons, such as
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| | essential oils. This created a sound
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| burning incense for harmony. However it
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| | basis of knowledge regarding the use of
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| was the Egyptians who invented the first
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| | essential oils for the Black Death of the
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| distillation techniques, thus allowing
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| | fourteenth century, which killed 80
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| the extraction of essential oils. Their
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| | million people across Europe.
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| distillation methods were crude, but
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| | Aromatherapy was used to allieve the
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| allowed them to use the oils of
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| | situation. Aromatic herbs and scented
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| cedarwood, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and
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| | candles were burned to combat the stench
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| myrrh to embalm their dead. Tombs opened
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| | and help disinfect the air. It is thought
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| by archaeologists in the early twentieth
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| | that some perfumers avoided the plague
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| century revealed traces of herbs and a
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| | due to their constant contact with the
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| faint herbal scent.
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| | natural aromatics.
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| The Egyptians also used essential oils
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| | Aromatic herbs were similarly used during
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| and infused oils for spiritual, medicinal
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| | the Bubonic Plague in the sixteenth
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| and cosmetic purposes. They started
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| | century when doctors wore big hats with
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| creating aromatic infusions over 5,000
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| | huge beaks filled with aromatic herbs to
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| years ago. Many believe they developed
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| | disinfect the air. At this stage a
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| the term perfume, originating from the
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| | concrete link between aromatics and
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| Latin 'per fumum', meaning through the
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| | health was established, as perfumed air
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| smoke. Perfumery was closely linked to
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| | was recognized as antiseptic as well as
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| ancient Greek religion, and each deity
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| | pleasant. By 1700, essential oils were
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| was allotted a fragrance.
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| | used in mainstream medicine. However, the
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| Aromatic scents were the focus of Greek
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| | development of chemistry at this time
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| aromatherapy, used medically, in food
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| | weakened the use of essential oils for
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| preservation, cosmetics, cooking as well
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| | medicinal purposes.
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| as religion. Aromatherapeutic ideas also
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| | Popular Aromatherapy Uses
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| played a part in the design and layout of
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| | It wasn't until the beginning of the
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| towns, with large spaces allocated to the
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| | twentieth century that essential oils and
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| burning of herbs to keep the air germ
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| | aromatics regained their popularity. A
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| free.
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| | French chemist called Renee Maurice
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| Ancient Egyptian rulers imported exotic
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| | Gattefosse studied essential oils for
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| scents from countries they had conquered
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| | their aromatic use. However, his focus
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| as a symbol of their power, both
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| | changed to their medicinal properties
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| economically and politically.
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| | after an accident at work. He badly burnt
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| The Greeks learnt a lot from the
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| | his arm and in reflex plunged it into the
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| Egyptians. After visiting the Nile Valley
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| | closest liquid which happened to be
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| in 500 B.C. they set up a medical school
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| | lavender essential oil. His arm healed
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| on the Island of Cos, of which the most
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| | very quickly and did not scar, which
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| famous graduate was Hippocrates, 'the
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| | prompted his study of the medicinal uses
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| father of medicine'. He recommended a
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| | of essential oils. Gattefosse coined the
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| daily bath and massage with essential
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| | term 'aromatherapy' in 1928, and in 1937
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| oils for a healthy life.
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| | he wrote a book called 'Gattefosse's
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| The Romans furthered the knowledge they
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| | Aromatherapy', which is still in print
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| obtained from the Egyptians and Greeks.
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| | and widely read.
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| Discordes wrote a treatus called De
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| | In the late 1950's Madam Marguerite Maury
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| Materia Medica, which referenced more
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| | studied how essential oils could be used
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| than 500 medicinal plants. Roman
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| | to penetrate the skin for health and
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| herbalist Galen was influenced by this
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| | beauty reasons. She developed massage
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| treatus and wrote what became the world's
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| | methods that are still used by
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| medical reference for over 1,500 years.
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| | aromatherapists today. In her book 'The
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| The Romans really took the use of
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| | Secret of Life and Youth' she develops
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| aromatic scents to a new level. Spice
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| | the concept of individual prescription, a
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| filled pipes perfumed Nero's guests in
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| | blend specific to the individual patient.
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| his palace, perfumed cups were very
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| | Dr Jean Valnet, a French doctor who
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| popular, and there were fragrant watering
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| | treated soldiers in World War Two with
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| spots around the city. Aromatic perfumes
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| | essential oils, documented the
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| remained popular when the focus of
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| | antimicrobial action of oils in his 1964
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| learning moved from Rome to
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| | book 'The Practice of Aromatherapy'. As a
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| Constantinople (now known as Istanbul).
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| | result of his work, France developed a
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| The Arabs were the first to distil
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| | successful medical aromatherapy, in which
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| alcohol from fermented sugar. This
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| | essential oils are used by the medical
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| discovery created a solvent other than
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| | profession.
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| oils and waxes for infusions, leading to
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| | For the majority of the past century,
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| popular luxuries such as floral waters.
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| | aromatherapy has been restricted to the
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| With this distillation the scents and
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| | beauty industry and largely unaccepted in
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| powerful therapeutic abilities of
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| | the medical profession. It is a
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| essential oils were brought to light and
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| | combination of Maury's development of the
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| explored.
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| | concept of individual prescription and
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| Distilling Essential Oils
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| | the success of medical aromatherapy in
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| Distillation techniques were furthered in
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| | France that has lead to a more medical
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| the eleventh century by a Persian
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| | approach and acceptance of aromatherapy
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| physician, Avicenna who invented a coiled
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| | in Britain and the United States over the
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| pipe allowing more efficient and
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| | past few years. Aromatherapy has now
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| effective cooling of plant vapour and
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| | split into two key areas; beauty and
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| steam. This more effective technique
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| | medical, both of which are equally
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| created more focus on essential oils and
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| | important and are increasingly being
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| their benefits.
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| | recognized as areas and techniques which
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| In the thirteenth century the
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| | complement each other.
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