This island was the main center of aloe production and the base of all Phoenician commerce with this plant. With the conquest of Socotra, Great Alexander made sure a permanent provision aloe to cure the wounds of his soldiers. In century I of ours he already was, the botanist and Greek doctor Dioscrides (41-90 d. of C.) one talks about to the aloe in his Of medical matter, giving laxative properties to him, preventive of infections, fortalecedor of the stomach and internal, tranquilizer of the effective pain and in the treatment sores, burns, hemorroides, you cut, alopecia, ezcemas Sita also the origin of the majority of the species of aloe in Africa, being distanced that Teofrasto, believed that it native of the Far East. The work of Dioscrides exerted an enormous influence in the Arab world, where it spread extensively, thanks to it the aloe today enjoys one merecidsima good reputation in the Muslim world. At the same time, in the Roman empire the 23-79 arises the figure from Pliny Old (d. of C.), author of an extensive Natural titled treaty History, where he gathers and he extends many of prescriptions of Dioscrides. Pliny attributes to aloe treatment of ulcers, sores, burns, wounds, however, like he made Herdoto with some episodes of his History for which he did not have sources, fabul and superposed to superstitions and magical beliefs to scientific ideas, although without leaving the common sense nor the casuistry, since he based many of his remedies on the test and the observation.
Galen (129-200 d. of C.) he was the last one great doctor of the Antiquity that I take care of the aloe in its work, Medical Ars, cradle in the hipocrtico concept of which all the answers to the human diseases were in the nature. In many regions of the south of Africa, like the Cape of Good Hope, Ethiopia and Somalia the aloe was used from time immemorial to wash to the body and the hair.
