AROMATHERARY HISTORY

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The Arab World
The Arab's played a leading role in the development of aromatic healing by creating an advanced level of chemical and pharmaceutical technology. They
had established extensive trade routes, which connected India, China, the Mediterranean and Indonesia with the Arab world. Spices and Essential Oils were sold and used as precious commodities. Through the trade routes these spices and Essential Oils were made available to the entire civilized world.
Without the Arab world, the knowledge of the Greeks and Romans may have been lost forever. Arabic scientists made great improvements in the technique of
distillation and established a vast body of research literature regarding Essential Oils. They created the first solid soap, which was scented with aromatics. IbnSina, known in the West, as "Avicenna" was an Arabic alchemist, astronomer, philosopher, mathematician, physician, poet and wrote the famous Canon of Medicine. He used essential oils extensively in his practice and dedicated one of his over 100 books solely to the use of medicinal essential oils.

India
The uses of aromatics and the list of Essential Oils used in India is vast.  Aromatherapy has been used in every aspect of their lives including bathing, cosmetics, perfuming, seduction, medicinal purposes and religious ceremonies. During Indian Tantric ceremonies, participants were anointed with oils of sandalwood for the men, and jasmine for the women on their hands, patchouli on the neck and cheeks, amber on the breasts, spikenard in the hair, musk on the abdomen, sandalwood on the thighs and saffron on the feet. Another example still used in India today is the use of the abhyanga, a fragrant massage used for seduction. This massage is not only used for humans but is employed to encourage the mating of male and female elephants. The female elephant is given a bath and covered in fragrance as a means to excite the male bull. India played a highly prominent role in the spice trade, offering 17 different types of Jasmine alone. The Moslem ruler Barbur, one of India's Mogul kings declared, "One may prefer the fragrances of India to those of the flowers of the whole world.

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