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Because breathing in
foul stench was thought to be one of methods of contracting disease, those who were still healthy carried nosegays and pomanders of highly perfumed flowers and spices. By holding these to nose they believed that they were warding off infection carried in venomous air. In Middle Ages, and even later, pleasant smells were considered to be an important part of good health and immunity to disease. During 1348 plague, French physicians prescribed breathing in cold aromatics like roses, sandalwood, renuphar, vinegar, rose-water, camphor and chilled apples for summertime protection. And in winter, hot aromatics like aloe, amber, sweetgum and nutmeg.
Another physician prescribed that "The heart must be eased by external bathing and internally with syrups and other medicines. All such preparations must contain some perfume and some aroma, like fragrance of lemon tree, syrup of apples and lemons and acid of pomegranate". Another recommended that house and body should be kept clean; rooms of house should be ventilated, sprinkled with vinegar and filled with scented flowers and plants. It should be "perfumed with good smells. So let vine leaves, sweet rushes, willow and osier, small plants and leaves of lemon tree and all other green things like flowers and sweet-smelling pommes be strewn throughout and placed in corners and on walls of chambers".
Unfortunately, bodily cleanliness did not include use of water. In fact, washing and bathing was considered a dangerous practice at times, as it opened pores and allowed odorous, plague-ridden air to enter body more easily. The hands and face were cleansed with aromatic lotions and frequent changes of clothing, with abundant use of perfumes, were considered to be indispensable. Physicians recommended that their bodies be washed in tepid vinegar twice a day.
There was also thought to be an odour of sanctity, saints and mystics were considered to emanate sweet odours of violets, roses, cinnamon and cloves. This sweet odour was noted even after death and remains of saints were alleged to have given off sweet floral odours many years after death. Pope Benedict XIV stated "That human body may by nature not have an overtly unpleasant odour is possible, but that it should actually have a pleasing smell - that is beyond nature. If such an agreeable odour exists, whether there does or does not exist a natural cause capable of producing it, it must be owing to some higher course and thus deemed to be miraculous". Therefore pleasant odour of saint is seen as evidence of sanctity.
Throughout ages, scents and odours have had a deep and profound effect on human psyche. Suskind says "For scent was a brother breath. Together with breath it entered human beings who could not defend themselves against it, not if they wanted to live. And scent entered into their very core, went directly to their hearts and decided for good and all between affection and contempt, disgust and lust, love and hate, who ruled scent ruled hearts of men."
Dee is a Certified Aromatherapist, Certified Reflexologist, and Reiki Master. Her site is AkobiAromas.com - a source of quality aromatherapy, herbal and reflexology information and products.
