The incense, as well as the spiritual, medical, and cosmetic uses of aromatic plants, resins, and essential oils, can be traced back to several millennia. Research reveals archaeological information on how the early man incorporated aromatic plants in ceremonial activities. It is on this basis that we learn from archeological findings made on the bones of early man buried in graves. To sanitize and ward off evil, primitive man used sage and burnt it in religious rituals. Tears of frankincense were discovered inside the burial chamber of the Egyptian Pharaoh King Tutankhamun for instance.
Most of the ancient civilization like the Egyptians, Chinese and Indians have been known to use aromatics plants and resins. She applied and incorporated the essential oils in spiritual and religious practices and also in medicine. In the history, it was found out that ancient Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, as well as Romans utilized essential oils as part of their medical treatments, beauty, skincare, and antiseptic during epidemic plagues with favorable results.
The histories of using aromatic plants as medicine are oldest in India and China and are estimated to be over 4,000 to 5,000 years old. These included scented oils that were used as perfumes, burned as incense and applied as medicine in ancient China. In the field of therapeutics, re-el doctors employed essential oils for curing ailments, female beauty and pediatric cases. They discovered that essential oils were fixed at the receptor sites all over the human body. This call for physical healing and compensating the emotions. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, which was written in China between 300-200 BC, described many aromatic plants as well as their utilization in the treatment of ailments.
The well known Vedas scripture nearly as old as 6000 years contain precise information regarding to more than seven hundred materials including aromatic plants and directions of the religious worship and healing of diseases. Some of these spices include the following: Clove which was used by the ancient Indian civilization was obtained from Indonesia and Sri Lanka; Cinnamon was also imported from Sri Lanka; and Nutmeg from Indonesia. Such aromatherapy and therapeutical oils and pomades have been used in the old Indian health sciences and religious practices.
The Egyptians employed the use of essential oils in a very broad and vast way.
In ancient Egypt, aromatic substances such as essential oils and resins were popular as offerings in religious ceremonies, in the process of mummification, cosmetics and fumigants. Examples that can be taken to support this are the discovered alabaster jars which when analyzed contained residual of herbs and resins buried along with the dead in Egypt. The use of essential oils was considered to be an integral part of all the day to day beauty treatments and all medical practices by Egyptians. Egyptian physicians like Herodotus and Imhotep used the “The Egyptian Art of Medicine” that included more than 700 types of plant oils like cypress, cedar wood, and Frankincense. Other items that were used included clothes, dust, night soil, and hair; priests also believed that essential oils and herbs ward off evil spirits.
The old Egyptians used to import myrrh, frankincense and galbanum oils from Somalia, Oman and Yemen mainly for the purposes of medicine and in preparing of mummifying mixture. Myrrh and frankincense were used by pharaohs to burn the pyramids’ candles, and the smell wafted as far as Arab lands. Their demand was almost too much and had almost cleared some regions of trees. Concentrated production of essential oils emerged and reached its zenith between the periods of 1550–1069 BCE and then tapered off. This was as a result of wars, diseases, and depleted soil fertility.
It actually emerged that the ancient Greeks and Romans had used essential oils.
In fact there is evidence that indicates that the ancient Greeks borrowed a lot from Egypt. Other ancient philosophers that used essential oils include Hippocrates who was famously known as the ’The Father of Modern Medicine’. The Greeks employed herbal oils in purging the body, as a disinfectant on the private parts, and in massages. The burning of aromatic plants was also used in offering to their gods and goddesses who were considered supreme. The Greeks also learnt that essential oils have anti infective properties and that is how they utilized it in plague and for treating soldiers on their return from wars.
A Greek doctor Pedanius Dioscorides, the 1st century AD, wrote a large book about using herbs for medical purposes called “De Materia Medica”. It emerged as the most authoritative encyclopaedic and pharmaceutical document for more than fifteen hundred years. The Romans developed on the techniques provided by the Greeks and Egyptian civilizations and enhanced the practice of herbalism across the empire. Galen, the Roman physician that served emperors Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and Septimus Severus, was well-known for his books and inventions in the use of drugs and ointments.
Culture and Production of Essential Oils in Monasteries
The fall of the Roman Empire saw the reduction in trading and use of essential oils in the European territories. But in the Dark Age the art of distilling essential oils and herbal studies were preserved by the Catholic friars and monks in their monasteries. They probably grew almost all the medicinal plants used by Europe for its tonics, ointments and powders in the monasteries.
There is evidence that trade rose in the 10 th to the 13 th century with the Far East through the Silk Road. This led to the European civilizations reacquainting themselves with many fragrant healing plants such as nutmeg, ginger and clove. Essential oils and herbs were used when civilisation was at its early stages, and with the coming of the Renaissance, the use also came again. There was selective cultivation of health enhancing herbs and perfumery plants in order to keep up with the increasing need. The most attractive garden of Europe displayed the herbs, flowers and vegetables was in Monastery of St. Gall, Switzerland which was in existence from 747AD.
Production of essential oils in current era
With colonization of different parts of the world by European nations, they started growing other aromatic crops like cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sandalwood plants through slave and local forces. This led to a large production of inexpensive necessary oils that were being imported to Europe in the 17th century. Despite this, the overall quality of some essential oils was not very good due to the fact that the distillation equipment used at the time was not very sophisticated. Modern stainless stills and cold press extraction offer somewhat better quality of oils that retain more subtle scents. These are applied in aromatherapies, clinic uses, beauty and in the medical field.
Aromatherapy and its related practices such as utilization of aromatic plants and flowers and application of essential oils have been a part and parcel of people’s life for thousands of years for their healing, spiritual development and beautification needs. We can still enjoy many of their useful characteristics to this very day. It is interesting to note that mankind has been using essential oils for so many purposes not only it is indicative of human creativity but also put a link to the modern practices of aromatherapy with the past.