The History of Essential Oils: Medical Trick or Treatment?

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The History of Essential Oils: Medical Trick or Treatment?

The Mayo Clinic’s publication of their “Book of Alternative Medicine, Integrating the Best of Natural Therapies with Conventional Medicine” is one of the many indications that alternative therapies are being acknowledged by mainstream medicine, and in some cases are viewed as complementary treatments. Developed by Mayo Clinic doctors and editors, the book addresses natural healing therapies including 40 herbs, essential oils and botanicals that have been used for generations as natural remedies.

Essential Oils: The History of the Mystery

Ancient civilizations used a variety of essential oils as medical treatments, for emotional well-being and even as preservatives or embalming fluids. Before modern medicine developed as an industry, plants and essential oils were used as remedies for everything to the common cold to the Black Plague.

Dating back, as far as 4000 BC, essential oils were used in traditional Chinese medicine. The Chinese, in fact used venoms along with herbs oils for treating flu, colds, stomach issues, headache pain, arthritis, sprains and wounds.

If you have ever heard of “Tiger Balm” being used for arthritis or a hangover, please note that it’s a Chinese medicine mixture, of menthol, mint oil, camphor, cajuput oil, cassia and clove oil, which was used over 1000 years ago and is still being used today. This particular combination is not an essential oil, but it’s made by combining essential oils.

The use of essential oils by the Egyptians is well documented. Starting around 3150 BC there are records of ancient Egyptians using myrrh, nutmeg, cedar wood, clove and cinnamon, in their medicine, as well as, their embalming fluid, as a very ef...

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...to 10 years.

3. Keep essential oils out of the reach of children.

4. Keep essential oils away from your eyes and do not put them into your ears.

5. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should not use essential oils unless cleared to do so by her doctor.

6. Do not use an undiluted essential oil on a baby or child.

7. Citrus oils shouldn’t be applied to skin that will be in direct sunlight or UV light within 3 days.

8. Do not take essential oils internally, especially wintergreen and eucalyptus. There are several highly toxic oils that should never be ingested or come into contact with the skin prior to being diluted with a carrier oil.

Sources

Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine, 2nd Edition,

Online https://store.mayoclinic.com

Essential Plant Oils: Their Historical and Current Uses, by Jerry Cates

Online http://www.bugsinthenews.com/

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