In the 12th century, trade routes from the Middle East brought spices, herbs, and
exotic scents to Europe, leading to the compilation of many books on therapeutic
plant remedies. In the Americas, shamans also used herbs and aromatics in the
bathing of patients to transform their energy field. Smoke from plants was often
blown over patients as part of the healing ceremony.
Not Just for Perfume Anymore
Although oils were used with great effectiveness in ancient times, they were largely
forgotten by the Western world until resurrected in the twentieth century by a French
cosmetic chemist, Maurice-Rene Cattefosse. While working in his laboratory in 1920,
he had an accident that resulted in a third degree burn of his hand and forearm. He
plunged his arm into a vat of lavender oil, thinking that it was water. To his sur-
prise, the burning stopped within a few moments. With the continual application of
lavender oil over the next few weeks, the burn healed completely without a trace of
a scar. This incident was the beginning of Cattefosse’s fascination with the therapeu-
tic properties of essential oils. He carried out experiments using oils to cure burns,
treat wounds, and prevent gangrene and in 1937 coined the term aromatherapie.
Since the 1980s, numerous schools of massage and aromatherapy have opened in
Britain. Training in aromatherapy has grown, and courses in it are part of the nurs-
ing degree program in some nursing colleges and universities. Aromatherapists prac-
tice in a number of settings including private practices, general medical clinics, and
hospitals. Currently, no law specifies a minimum level of training and practice in
the United Kingdom.
Some people in the United States, after a weekend course, call themselves “aro-
matherapists.” They may know little about plant chemistry and the specific ways in
which the oils need to be formulated. Their self-proclaimed title is fine if they use
oils only for fragrance and perfume. Using oil formulas for a specific therapeutic
action is inappropriate, however, for individuals with this limited knowledge. The
Institute of Aromatherapy in Denville, New Jersey, was approved in 1997 by the New
Jersey Department of Education, making it the first state-approved aromatherapy
school in the United States. Their 200 in-class hours are designed to provide a com-
prehensive knowledge of aromatherapy including classes in botany, psychoneuroim-
munology, and plant chemistry.
How Does Aromatherapy Work?
The delivery of aromatherapuetic treatment begins with the extraction of essential
oils from plants. The oils are then matched to the patient’s specific concerns and
CHAPTER 9 AROMATHERAPY 117
