It was not the beginning of this century that a French chemist and schloar, Dr. R M Gattefosse, rekindled interest in aromatherapy - a term he actually coined  and about which he wrote several books. He explained at length the properties of essential oils and their methods of application, with examples of their antiseptic, bactericidal, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. he related how, after burning his hand in the laboratory, he plunged the hand into the nearest receptacle which happened to contain essential oil of lavender; he was astonished  at how quickly the pain ceased and the skin healed. He continued to experiment with essential oils, using as his subjects men in military hospitals during the First World War.

Essential oils such as thyme, clove, chamomile and lemon were used, with astonishing results. Later the work was carried on by Dr. J Valnet. Up untill the second world war essential oils of clove, lemon, thyme and chamomile were used as natural disinfectants and antiseptics to fumigate hospital wards and sterilise instruments used in surgery and dentistry.

Doctors used the oils throughout the war, and managed to prevent gangrene, cure burns and heal wounds in record time. This work was later translated into modern terms by Marguerite Maury, the French biochemist who trained me. She extended the research, bringing aromatherapy into the world of cosmetology, allying medicine, health and beauty. Aromatherapy is now widely practiced by doctors on th continent-in conjuction with Phytotherapy (Herbalism) -and is referred to in France as medicine douce, or soft medicine, a significant appellation.

Around the same time that Dr R M Gattefosse wrote his first book on aromatherapy, Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the antibiotic penicillin. This was a "natural cure" as well, being isolated from a culture of mould. Today, of course, natural penicillin is no longer used, for its constituents were identified long ago and is now synthesized in the laboratory. Perhaps that is the reason  why so many people have allergic reactions to penicillin, resultingin eczema and swelling: the artificial variety is considerably stronger that its natural counterpart.

And it is for this reason, I believe, that medicine is now turning once again to Natural remedies. Using a strong synthetic drug to kill harmful bacteria  is rather like cracking a nut with a sledgehammer, for not only do the drugs kill the harmful bacteria, they also destroy the beneficial ones present in the body. Natural remedies like using essential oils, on the other hand, may act more slowly in an antibiotic sense, but while killing off the bacteria or the virus, they do not destroy anyything else. In fact, they actually stimulate the body`s immune system to strengthen its resistance to further attack.

Unfortunately, we have come to expect instant cures and think that the only medicines of value are made synthetically and come in pill form. Thus many find it hard to believe that the essential oils from plants  are actually just as effective, if not more so. They may take longer to show result, but

then illnesses do not develop overnight. There are no miracle cures, and a more valid option has to be the softer approach of something like aromatherapy.

Reference: Aromatherapy: The Encyclopedia of Plants and Oils and How They Help You: Daniele Ryman