The Greeks furthered the knowledge of the Egyptians, the earliest known and most famous being Hippocrates, “the father of medicine”. He advocated daily bath and massage as a key to maintaining great health. Crazily, water is still the most underrated element in health and well being, externally and ESPECIALLY internally:
“You’re not sick; you’re thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.”
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj(but that’s a whole different post!)
Asclepiades, Theophrastus and Megallus all explored and advocated the use of plants as perfume and medicine, as well as the affect on internal organs. The Greeks were so advanced in this area that they were employed as physicians by Roman Army, the most famous being Pedacius Dioscorides who wrote “De Materia Medica”. In this book he mentions 500 plants as well as remedies for countless medical conditions including asthma and menstrual difficulties.
The Romans, outrageously vain (maybe they settled in LA), adored perfumes and scents, using them for massage and to scent hair and clothing. Galen introduced cold cream and Roman soldiers carried myrrh with them to battle to heal their wounds.
As the Romans marched throughout the known world they carried with them and spread their knowledge in line with the growth of their empire, collecting plants and seeds along their way..facilitating the spread of wisdom and the evolution of a healing art.
I would be interested to know if the remedies in the book, De Materia Medica, are similar to the ones modern day aromotherapists support today
What a great question. The answer is yes, much of his understanding of plants and their therapeutic properties have been proven scientifically and are still used in the same way today.
However, Pedanius Dioscorides the Greek wrote this De Materia Medica approximately two thousand years ago. Much has changed in terms of our understanding of the human body. Our knowledge of plants & their therapeutic properties has grown and evolved with scientific research.
The translation of materica medica would definitely not be used as a primary source of medical treatment today as many treatments considered acceptable two thousand years ago have been proven either useless or harmful – recall the pain and suffering patients have experienced through the ages with blood letting, lack of anaesthetics and all manner of inhuman methods of pregnancy termination. This particularly applies to the abortifacients mentioned in the manuscript, most of which contain toxins considered dangerous in the required doses.
Add to this our changing planet and how all the factors that contribute to a plants therapeutic properties have changed dramatically over the millennia: soil quality, rainfall, climate, agricultural and cultivation practices, temperature, altitude, insect and pest interaction & use of chemicals. Also, the country of origin affects the chemical structure, which in turn affects the therapeutic properties. Finally, consider also the fact that there are many varieties of each plant e.g. peppermint, each of which has a different chemical structure. Who is to say Dioscorides had access to exactly the same chemotypes as we do today?!
Despite all this, and as the translator of the 2000 English Translation Tess Anne Osbaldeston mentions, the information in this document is still of interest and benefit to us, after all this time.
Take for instance his description of Cinnamon [direct copy/ paste from the 2000 translation by Tess Anne Osbaldeston] :
“Now all cinnamon is warming, diuretic, softening and digestive. It draws out the menstrual flow and is an abortifacient, taken as a drink with myrrh or else applied. It is also good against beasts that put out their poison and against deadly poisons [antidote]. It cleans away, heats and thins pus that darkens the pupils, and is diuretic. Rubbed on with honey it takes away freckles and sunburn. It is good for coughs and mucosal discharges, dropsy, diseases of the kidneys, and difficult urination.”
Now, what we know about essential oil of Cinnamon today is that the main chemical components of the essential oil, obtained from the leaves, are eugenol, eugenol acetate, cinnamic aldehyde and benzyl benzoate, lending it the following therapeutic properties: analgesic, antiseptic, antibiotic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, cardiac, carminative, emmenagogue, insecticide, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge.
So yes, De Materia Medica nailed certain therapeutic aspects of cinnamon, being able tone and calm the respiratory tract, the nervous system, colds and influenza, as well as period pains (promoting your period). It’s a superb antidote for certain spider bites, useful in parasitic infections and is generally warming, calming and soothing…and by the way he also mentioned that it’s delicious in mulled wine!!
Give us another two thousand years and I daresay we’ll have discovered further uses for cinnamon.
For almost two millenia Dioscorides was regarded as the ultimate authority on plants and medicine, achieving overwhelming commendation and approval because his writings addressed the many ills of mankind most usefully. We’re still learning and building on that knowledge and, as science enables us, pioneering new applications to further our well being.
Hope this answers your question – sorry it’s so lengthy (you know me!) x
That it does – thank you Stephanie.
Would you recommend some ways in which you could including cinnamon in your daily life i.e.cooking, burning etc
In the family home the safest way to use essential oil of cinnamon leaf is in the burner. This is because although it’s relatively non-toxic, it is a strong skin irritant due to its cinnamaldahyde & eugenol content. Cinnamon bark essential oil should be avoided altogether as it’s highly toxic.
For a gorgeous, uplifting, spicy, aromatic and warming atmosphere in your home during Christmas, try adding a 2 drops to the burner/ diffuser with essential oils of orange and or clove – an additional 2 drops of each; remember with Aromatherapy less is more.
Another way of including cinnamon is through the hydrosol, the distillate produced during the process of the essential oil distillation. Cinnamon leaf hydrosol can be drunk for sheer pleasure, added to coffee or combined with the hydrosols of coriander seed, & cardamom pod in hot water for an aromatherapy chai! As cinnamon leaf is great for the autonomic nervous system (the one that controls all your involuntary body functions such as heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, salivation, perspiration, diameter of the pupils, urination and sexual arousal) by balancing dramatic fluctuations and providing relief from states of extreme stress, this is the perfect hydrosol for busy mums on the go!
For more therapeutic applications I would recommend this to be done under the guidance of a trained Aromatherapist.
A hydrosol supplier in the UK: D’Oyles 01482 581 774
Be sure to double check all your aromatherapy supplies are either organic, wild-crafted or bio-dynamically cultivated as well as from a sustainable source. You can double check the info about hydrosols in Suzanne Catty’s Book: Hydrosols, The Next Aromatherapy
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