The Beginnings Of Essential Oils
continued
The Roman Empire actually looked to the Egyptians and Greeks for
their knowledge of aromatic and healing qualities of plants. In
fact, Discorides wrote a book that depicted the benefits of nearly
500 plants. This book is known as DeMateria Medica. Discorides also
studied the distillation process, which, during this period of time
centered on extracting the aroma of floral waters, rather than
essential oils.
A Persian man by the name of Avicenna invented a coiled cooling pipe
sometime in the 11th century which was used for the distillation of
essential oils. It was a significant invention because it enabled
the vapor and steam of the plant to cool down more efficiently than
did the straight cooling pipe which was used by previous distillers.
This invention was instrumental in the use of essential oils.
Sometime during the 12th century a nun in Germany by the name of
Hildegard grew lavender and distilled it as she discovered that it
could be used for medicinal purposes. The pharmaceutical industry
began in the 13th century which greatly encouraged the distillation
of essential oils.
By the 14th century the Black Death had hit which killed millions of
people. Because of this catastrophe, herbal preparations were
broadly used to help fight this plague. Many people believed that
they were able to avoid this horrible disease because of their
consistent usage of natural aromatics.
By the 15th century, the distillation of even more plants was being
accomplished. These plants included juniper, sage, rose, rosemary
and frankincense. Books were written during this century on the
practice of distillation of essential oils and the benefits of their
usage.
The term essence was coined by Paracelsus, who was an alchemist and
medical doctor. He was also believed to be ahead of his time in the
treatment of his patients. Due to his research and studies, major
changes were made in the nature of alchemy, as he increasingly
focused on using plants as medicines.
In the 16th century, oils could be purchased at a store called an
apothecary, and at that time many more essential oils were created.
Also during that time, and especially on into the 17th century,
perfume was more characterized in its own field and was actually
looked upon as an art form. The perfume industry continued to
prosper during the 19th century. During that time, women would hire
their jeweler to produce a distinctive bottle to hold their valued
perfume. An isolation of the principal constituents of essential
oils become even more isolated during the 19th century.
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