“Live and be healthy”(vive valeque!) Romans wished. This wish made Roman Emperors’ personal doctor Galen (131-201 μ.Χ.) , smile subtly. The Father of pharmaceutics was an avid user of aromatherapy.
Tradition wants him to cure the injured gladiators with his preparations “Galenic”. There wasn’t anyone who had ever died in his arms! Romans used perfumes excessively.
In Nero’s palaces, silver sprinklers sprayed the visitors with perfumes, while Rome was full of baths that scented the capital of the world.
During the Middle Ages botanists and physicians tried to fight mainly pestilence and they used aromatic substances as good antiseptics. However, it was not clear whether they were actually protecting from plague or they simply reduced the bad odor. Until the 9th century practitioners had a bag full of aromatic oils with them, for personal protection against infections.
The Founder of industrial production is considered to be the German Johann Rudolf Glauber (1604 – 10 Mar 1668), while the man who developed the basic chemistry of oils is French A. Lavoissier.(1743 – Μay 8 1794).
