ABSTRACT
The history of the use of lipids (waxes and oils) is closely connected with the cultural development of mankind. Lipids served first as food, but their use was extended to the preservation of other foodstuffs-for example, in the sealing of amphorae with beeswax. Lipids were basic ingredients in pigment dispersions and were used for wall or body painting, for greasing the skin, and for impregnating leatherware and wood. With the development of better isolation and refining methods for lipids, purer fractions could be used for the extraction of fragrances from plant leaves and their preservation or for medicinal treatment. In medieval times, so-called witches were accused of using this kind of extraction method. It was believed that they were boiling toads in fat and using the so-obtained extract as a body salve to be able to fly.
