Aloe vera in history

Aloe vera has been recognized for millennia for its healing properties. Aloe has been used extensively by the Egyptians, Assyrians, Mediterranean civilizations, and in Biblical times.

The first authentic record of aloe vera as a plant with healing properties is accredited to a Mesopotamian clay tablet dated at ca 2100 BC.

One of the earliest and most detailed accounts of aloe vera’s use appears in the Egyptian Papyrus Ebers, which dates back to 1550 BC. This ancient document stated that aloe vera had many medicinal values and that they were widely acclaimed and had been for many centuries.

It was aid that two famous Egyptian queens, Nefertiti and Cleopatra, used extracts of the plant in their beauty regimes.

Legend suggest that Alexander the Great, after conquering Persia in 333 BC on the advice o his mentor Aristotle, returned by way of the Indian Sea and visited Socotra where he left Ionian Greeks to cultivate the aloe for medicinal purpose.

The Greek physician Dioscorides recommended aloe externally for wounds, hemorrhoid, ulcers and hair loss. The Roman naturalist Pliny prescribed it for internal use as a laxative. Pliny also reports that a dealer in the province of Narbonense used aloe vera for adulterating the flavor and color of his wine.

Arab traders carried aloe vera from Spain to Asia around the 6th century. They introduced the herb to India’s traditional Ayurvedic physicians, who used it to treat skin problem, intestinal worms, and menstrual discomforts.

Throughout the 18th and 19th country aloe remained one of the more popular physician-prescribed and self-prescribed over the counter medicines.
Aloe vera in history