A pleasant odor has always been, and still is, an important factor for people to feel good, and feeling well is synonymous with good health. Therefore, we can conclude that all substances which are able to create a certain amount of well-being and well-feeling possess therapeutic properties and, therefore, can be called therapeutic agents.
Generally we can say that a pleasant odor is therapeutically useful, whereas an unpleasant one does the contrary. But we will also see that unpleasant smells also are sometimes used in a certain therapeutic sense today, But now let’s dive into the past and recite some ancient therapeutic uses of essential oils.
Historic Use of Essential Oils as Therapeutic Agents
Perhaps the most ancient way to treat a patient in the sense of aromatherapy was the fumigation which was practiced in all ancient civilizations, especially in China, India, Egypt and Babylonia.