Four Thieves: Historic Anti-Plague Remedy

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Four Thieves Vinegar: Antiviral, Germicide and Possible Alternative for Flu

Shots

http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/anthrax_cures.htm

Since anthrax is the most feared toxin it will be addressed first. The

Garlic Information Center in Britain indicates that deadly anthrax is most

susceptible to garlic. Garlic is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that even

blocks toxin production by germs. [Journal Nutrition, March 2001]

Before vaccines were developed against polio, garlic was used successfully

as a prophylactic. In one test garlic was found to be a more potent

antibiotic than penicillin, ampicillin, doxycycline, streptomycin and

cephalexin, some of the very same antibiotic drugs used in the treatment of

anthrax. Garlic was found to be effective against nine strains of E.coli,

Staph and other bugs. [Fitoterapia, Volume 5, 1984]

Freshly cut cloves of garlic or garlic powder may be beneficial. The

antibiotic activity of one milligram of allicin, the active ingredient in

garlic, equals 15 units of penicillin. [Koch and Lawson, Garlic: The Science

and Therapeutic Application, 2nd edition, & Wilkins, Baltimore

1996]

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Four Thieves: Historic Anti-Plague Remedy

by Ingrid Naiman

During the dreadful years of the Black Death, a few people found the way to

survive the plague that was decimating the population. Among the more

colorful of these were four thieves from Marseilles who while plundering for

treasures protected themselves with garlic and a concoction of herbs

extracted in vinegar. The tale is a fascinating exploration of herbal lore,

but there are so many versions of the story that it is up to you to choose

which to believe.

Nostradamus, 1503-1566, was a famous doctor and prophet who not only

survived the plague but cured many others with what came to be known as the

famous " rose petal pills. " In fact, we do not know very much about the

lozenges. They might have included rose hips, a rich source of natural

vitamin C, as well as sawdust from green cypress, iris of Florence, cloves,

odorated calamus, and perhaps some lign-aloes. Nostradamus owned a perfume

manufacturing enterprise, which in his time meant distillation of plants to

make essential oils. People who worked in these facilities did not succumb

to the plague . . . and we are just now emerging from our skepticism in such

a way as to enable us to understand what is so effective about these highly

concentrated aromatic oils.

This formula is so popular in herbal circles that some people have organized

" Four Thieves " parties where groups of people produce big batches of the

formula during times of epidemics. There are, as one might imagine, many

versions of the formula, all, of course, claimed to be authentic.

The famous French aromatherapy doctor, Valnet, has two recipes in his

book. He claims the original recipe was revealed by corpse robbers who were

caught red-handed in the area around Toulouse in 1628-1631. His story is the

more credible of the many one can find. Given the virulence and deadliness

of the plague, the judges were astonished by the indifference of the thieves

to contagion. Valnet quotes the archives of the Parliament of Toulouse:

During the Great Plague, four robbers were convicted of going to the houses

of plague victims, strangling them in their beds and then looting their

dwellings. For this, they were condemned to be burned at the stake, and in

order to have their sentence mitigated, they revealed their secret

preservative, after which they were hanged.

Given the source, I choose to believe the Valnet account, but there have

obviously been many spins of the tale. Here is the recipe stated to be the

original:

Original Recipe for Four Thieves Formula

3 pints

white wine vinegar

handful

wormwood

handful

meadowsweet

handful

juniper berries

handful

wild marjoram

handful

sage

50

cloves

2 oz.

elecampane root

2 oz.

angelica

2 oz.

rosemary

2 oz.

horehound

3 g

camphor

Dr. Valnet has a variation of his own described as an antiseptic vinegar:

Marseilles Vinegar or Four Thieves Vinegar

40 g.

greater wormwood, Artemesia absinthum

40 g.

lesser wormwood, Artemesia pontica

40 g.

rosemary

40 g.

sage

40 g.

mint

40 g.

rue

40 g.

lavender

5 g.

calamus

5 g.

cinnamon

5 g.

clove

5 g.

nutmeg

5 g.

garlic

10 g.

camphor (do not use synthetic camphor)

40 g.

crystallized acetic acid

2500 g.

white vinegar

Instructions: steep the plants in the vinegar for 10 days. Force through a

sieve. Add the camphor dissolved in the acetic acid, filter.

Valnet says this remedy, i.e., his formula is useful in the prevention of

infectious diseases. He says to rub it on the face and hands and burn it in

the room. It can also be kept in small bottles that are carried on the

person so that the vapors can be inhaled.

Dr. had a slightly different story and a variation of the

formula that is clearly American, not French. His " Four Thieves " story is

that there was a man named Forthave who developed a remedy for the

plague that was marketed under his name, a name which was corrupted to " Four

Thieves. " There might indeed have been grave robbers who used this remedy to

protect themselves while they divested corpses of treasures they would no

longer need. The King of France had the thieves arrested and they bought

their freedom with the remedy they had been using. Thus, the remedy did not

fall into obscurity and has been used for centuries since to protect against

contagion.

Dr. Plague Formula

8 parts

apple cider vinegar

5 parts

glycerine U.S.P.

5 parts

honey

2 parts

garlic juice, fresh

2 parts

comfrey root concentrate*

1 part

wormwood concentrate

1 part

lobelia leaf and/or seed concentrate

1 part

marshmallow root concentrate

1 part

oak bark concentrate

1 part

black walnut bark concentrate

1 part

mullein leaf concentrate

1 part

skullcap leaf concentrate

1 part

uva ursi, hydrangea, or gravel root concentrate

Mix the ingredients well!

*Due to new restrictions on comfrey for internal use, it is suggested that

slippery elm be substituted for this ingredient.

How to make the concentrates:

Each concentrate should be made individually. Start by soaking the herb for

four hours or more in enough distilled water to cover it completely. After

soaking, add more distilled water so that the total added equals 16 oz. (.5

liter) water per 4 oz. (113 grams) herb. Use a multiple of these amounts for

a larger quantity of formula. Using these amounts approximately one gallon

(3.75 liters) of the formula will be produced.

After adding the appropriate amount of distilled water to the soaked herb,

simmer the herb on very low heat in a covered pan or double boiler for

thirty minutes. Then strain the liquid into a clean pan. Put the liquid into

a double boiler or on very low heat (uncovered) and simmer (steam) it down

to one fourth of the original volume (4 oz. 1256 ml). Only after all

ingredients have been prepared should the liquids be mixed.

Do not use aluminum, Teflon, or cracked porcelain. Glass, corning ware or

stainless steel or whole porcelain are best.

Dosage: 1 tsp. 3 times a day; or 1 tablespoon every 1/2 hour if infected.

Here is another version, much simpler to make, offered by one of my

colleagues, Vaughn, Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist.

1 pint

unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

5 drops

rosemary oil

5 drops

oregano oil

5 drops

lavender oil

5 drops

sage oil

5 drops

peppermint oil

5 drops

clove oil

4 drops

lemon oil

3 drops

black pepper oil

1 drop

capsicum oil

1 head

garlic finely diced

3 oz

ginger finely sliced

4 oz

echinacea tincture

Warning: Be sure to use unadulterated, therapeutic

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grade essential oils. All essential oils sold on this site are this superior

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New Batch and Name Change to Potent Protection

Potent Protection

Potent Protection [formerly called Four Thieves]

Ingrid's Formula

Contains: Alpinia officinarum (galangal), Allium sativum (garlic), Zingiber

officinalis (ginger), Juglans nigra (black walnut), Artemisia annua (sweet

Annie), Lomatium dissectum, Verbascum thaspus (mullein leaf), Arctostaphylos

uva-ursi (bearberry), Ulmus rubra (slippery elm), Ligusticum porteri (osha),

Capsicum minimum (cayenne), Black cumin, Nutmeg, Coriander, Cinnamon,

Cloves, and Camphor in distilled water, organic alcohol, organic honey,

vegetable glycerin, and organic cider vinegar with essential oils of wild

oregano and rosemary.

4 oz., $ 37.50

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