Although he never knew it, Columbus
did indeed “pave” the way for fragrant discoveries. Later on, after the
discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, and travelers had
easier access to the Americas,
all kinds of new spices and herbs were found. Just like the Egyptians, the
Aztecs used incense in their ceremonies. They also treated the injured by
massaging them with scented ointments. The Incas also made massage ointments
from valerian root, and other ingredients, including seaweed. The Mayan put the
sick inside tight clay huts and steamed them with scented spices and herbs.
Native Americans made tight
bundles of herbs or sweet grass, lit them to produce smoke, and waved it over
their patient’s bodies. This technique, known as smudging, is still used by
some naturalists. These early North Americans treated congestion, rheumatism,
headaches, and fainting, as well as other illnesses. Sometimes they would make
an infused liquid and throw it on hot rocks to make a curing steam. Some of the
plants they used were goldenrod, fleabane, and pearly everlasting.
The
Italians were the leaders in perfumery and cosmetics, producing such items as
cloves, shoes and stockings, shirts, and even coins that carried fragrances. The
medicinal remedies were kept in ornate pots. Neighboring European countries
began adopting and expanding their ideas. In the 16th century the
Elizabethans powdered their hair, skin, and clothing. They also made toners
from vinegar and scented waters. Although the toners were to improve the skin,
they also were ingested as medicines.
During this same period more
plants were being distilled and there were a number of books on the subject. Early
French soldiers were the first to call perfume eau de cologne, after an Italian
from Cologne who made popular water
that people splashed on their skin. It also helped heal sore gums and aided in
digestion.
The term “aromatherapy” wasn’t
heard until 1930 when René-Maurice Gattefossé, a
French perfumer, burned his hand in a laboratory accident. He plunged his hand
into a vat containing lavender oil and soon realized that his serious burns
healed quickly. What’s more, there was no scar, rather miraculous considering
the circumstances. When World War I broke out and so many were seriously
injured, he took essential oils into the hospital to help heal soldiers. He
continued to study uses for these marvelous oils through the 1920s and 1930s.
Jean Valnet, a French physician
treated patients using aromatherapy during the Indo-China war that lasted from
1948 to 1959. He referred to essential oils as “stars of medicine”. He even
wrote a textbook about them titled “Aromatherapie”, published
in 1964 and still
