Birth of Modern Medical Aromatherapy & Clinical Essential Oils

The Birth of Modern Medical Aromatherapy & Clinical Essential Oils

In the 20th Century the medical benefits of essential oils were recognized by a French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gottefosse (1881-1950), who is considered the "Father of Aromatherapy." He "suffered serious burns to the hands in a laboratory explosion, and the wounds soon became gangrenous; he was able to effect a perfect cure using essence of lavender" (Jean Valnet MD, "The Practice of Aromatherapy" pg 66).

In 1928 when Alexander Fleming began his work on penicillin -- the origins of modern antibiotics -- Gattefosse in France was doing his serious investigative research into the therapeutic properties of essential oils. It is interesting that both of these famous pioneers were born in 1881 and died in 1950s. Gattefosse coined the term "aromatherapie" and is now considered the "father of modern aromatherapy".

Pharmacists in France were quick to recommend Eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils for things that were being treated elsewhere in the world with penicillin. Oil of oregano and penicillin have relatively equivalent strength against harmful bacteria.

The big difference is that penicillin and all the subsequent strong, pharmaceutical antibiotics could make a fortune for the manufacturers because they could be standardized, synthesized, and patented, while essential oils were natural substances. So essential oils were largely ignored by the medical establishment except in France and elsewhere in Europe where there was already significant published research.

Gottefossee incorporated a blend of essential oils used in treating the Spanish flue epidemic of 1918. His successor in the practice of aromatherapy, a French medical doctor & surgeon, Jean Valnet "Made use of the healing properties of essences in wartime surgery on some of his pateients in Tonkin, and though having only a very limited quanitity of his own aromatic essences he was able to treat as many patients as he liked, the results, were consistent" (Valnet pg 66). When he returned to Paris he continued his great work with plant extracts and devoted his life to the research and development of therapeutic plant medicines.

In 1971 Dr Maurice Girault coined the term "aromatogram" for antimicrobial therapy involving essential oils. Doctors would take microbial cultures and use various essential oils in vitro to recognize which oil or blend would be best to treat the disease. Dr Valnet helped to spread this concept to the general public.

Valnet also published the book "The Practice of Aromatherapy" in 1978, which became the first training for Dr Penoel and Pierre Franchomme on essential oils therapy.

The Modern use of essential oils has continued to grow rapidly as chemists like Pierre Franchomme and modern doctors like Danial Penoel conducted research in the laboratory and medical clinic to validate the numerous health and wellness benefits of clinical grade essential oils. Their book "l'Aromatherapie Exactement" (Precise Aromatherapy), published 1990, became the "bible" of aromatherapy at the time. And everyone who has to be trained in the use of therapeutic essential oils after 1990 had to understand its contents.
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