The Innovative Path of Asian Herbal Extract

The History of Herb and Inhaler

What is Inhaler?

An inhaler is a small, portable device designed to inhale essential oils, herbs, or medicines through the sense of smell for specific health effects. This device usually contains volatile ingredients that are inhaled through the nasal cavity and can provide a variety of benefits, such as refreshing, relieving nasal congestion, and soothing headaches.

The use of an inhaler is very simple. Just hold it close to your nostrils and take a deep breath. The aroma of the essential oil or medicine will quickly reach the brain and respiratory system. Depending on the ingredients contained, the inhaler can provide different therapeutic effects:

Peppermint: Cooling effect helps to refresh the mind and relieve headaches.

Eucalyptus oil: Helps to breathe smoothly and has antibacterial effects.

Lavender: Relaxing effect, but also refreshing.

Camphor: Relieves nasal congestion and improves breathing.

Eucalyptus oil: Fresh aroma, helps to refresh.

Shennong Bencaojing

Shennong Bencaojing is an important Chinese medicine classic, which is said to have been written by Shennong in the 1st century BC. The book records 365 kinds of medicines in detail, including herbal medicines, minerals, and animal medicines, which are classified into top, middle, and low grades. Many aromatic plants are recorded, and their pharmacological effects and methods of use are described.

For example:

Mint

Has the effects of cooling, refreshing, and analgesic.

Clove

Used to warm the middle, warm the kidney, treat cold pain, etc.

Cinnamon

Has the effects of warming the meridians, dispelling cold, and relieving

Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdoms

During the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdoms, which date back 800 years, herbal medicine in Thailand gradually developed and formed various traditional treatment methods based on the history that can be traced.

Herbal therapy

Local herbs for treatment: Mint, Lemongrass, Turmeric, Garlic.

Physical therapy

Body massage combined with herbs to help relieve pain and relax the body.

Aromatherapy

The use of aromatic plants for treatment, like modern essential oil therapy.

Early 20th century: Combination of modern technology and traditional treatments

With the introduction of Western modern medicine to Asia and the development of science and technology, the Asian medical community began to try to combine modern technology with traditional Chinese medicine to improve efficacy and convenience.

For example, modern pharmaceutical technology uses extraction, distillation, and other technologies to separate effective ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine. This extraction technology involving modern medicine is much more effective than traditional Asian technology, and the extracted essential oils are of higher purity. Essential oil extraction from aromatic plants is one of the important technologies.

In addition, modern technology has also given inhalers a more portable design. Drawing on the design of Western snuff boxes and inhalers, portable inhalers suitable for Chinese medicine have been developed. These inhalers can be carried with you, making it convenient for users to inhale at any time.

Mid-20th century: Development of modern inhalers

Starting in the mid-20th century, the essential oil purification technology of traditional Chinese medicine and the production of inhalers entered industrialization, and the production of inhalers gradually shifted from manual production to mechanized production, improving the consistency and quality of the products.

Late 20th century to early 21st century: Widespread use of modern inhalers

At this time, the functional design of inhalers was very diverse, not limited to a single drug or essential oil. Many products combine multiple ingredients to achieve multiple functions, such as refreshing, relieving nasal congestion, relieving stress, etc.

The market demand for inhalers is also becoming more diverse, ranging from traditional Chinese medicine formulas to modern essential oil formulas. In addition to the real drug demand, it also meets the needs of many non-medicinal consumers.

With the blessing of this Asian culture, the international market for inhalers has also been expanded. With the development of global trade and the development of international markets, inhalers with a long history have gradually been exported to the world, especially in the European and North American markets.

The development of modern inhalers is the result of the combination of traditional aromatherapy and modern technology. Through the introduction of modern pharmaceutical technology and industrialized production, traditional Chinese medicine ingredients are widely used in modern inhalers, greatly improving their convenience and efficacy. This process not only promotes the modernization of traditional herbs but also makes industrially produced inhaler products occupy a place in the international market.

For the development of Herbs and Inhaler in modern society, please refer to the blog: How Inhalers Now Combine herb with Health