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Aromatherapy had been around for 6000 years or more. The Greeks, Romans,
and ancient Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils. The Egyptian physician
Imhotep recommended fragrant oils for bathing, massage, and for
embalming their dead nearly 6000 years ago. Imhotep is the Egyptian god
of medicine and healing. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine,
used aromatherapy baths and scented massage. He used aromatic
fumigations to rid Athens of the plague.
The modern era of aromatherapy is dawned in 1930 when the French chemist
Rene Maurice Gattefosse coined the term aromatherapy for the therapeutic
use of essential oils. He was fascinated by the benefits of lavender oil
in healing his burned hand without leaving any scars. He started
investigating the effect of other essential oils for healing and for
their psychotherapeutic benefits.
During world war II, the French army surgeon Dr. Jean Valnet used
essential oils as antiseptics. Later, Madame Marguerite Maury elevated
aromatherapy as a holistic therapy. She started prescribing essential
oils as remedy for her patients. She is also credited with the modern
use of essential oils in massage.
Aromatherapy works the best when it works on the mind and body
simultaneously.
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