Vinegar of the Four Thieves - Version II

[Guest guest]

This is a slightly different version:

 

 

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

According to herbalist Elizabeth Kastner, "During the height of the plague in France in 1721, it was discovered that the homes of disease victims were being ransacked. At first, no effort was made to find the criminals, since all knew they were fools, soon to die of the plague.

As time went on, it became apparent that the thieves were continuing in their raids... and quite inexplicably, avoiding falling victim to the disease. Soon, they became highly sought -- not due to their crimes, but in an effort to learn their secret.

"When they were finally captured, they refused to speak, until a bargain was offered: remain silent and hang. Divulge the secret to their resistance to the deadly plague and walk away.

It seems that the mother of several of the boys was a midwife, and had a recipe which used plants which were easily wildcrafted... yet, she knew that this would change immediately if anyone learned the formula, so she swore her children to secrecy.

Her sons saved their necks and shared the recipe for the disinfectant, which is still used in France to this day."

Given the simple ingredients of Four Thieves Vinegar and with all the yammering about smallpox, bioterrorism diseases and flu vaccine shortages in the news these days, it seems prudent to me to prepare a home stock of this historical preventative for dread diseases. According to Kastner, the traditional recipe for Four Thieves Vinegar "makes a lot of sense, medicinally speaking."

You can make your own "Four Thieves Vinegar" by following the simple recipe below.

 

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

 

 

Four Thieves Vinegar Recipe:

Use equal parts of the following herbs:

 

Lavender

Sage

Thyme

Melissa (lemon balm)

Hyssop

Peppermint

A handful of garlic cloves

Blend ingredients in a glass jar and cover completely with organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, which is available in most health food stores. Cold infuse (let sit at room temperature in a cool place) for six weeks and then strain off herbs and garlic.

You can take Four Thieves Vinegar by the teaspoonful, use it as a salad dressing, or even add a spoonful to your bath water for personal protection.

Four Thieves Vinegar and warmed organic coconut oil make an excellent salad dressing.

You can also use it as a topical spray to disinfect surfaces -- including skin -- and/or you can take it as a tincture. All of the ingredients in Four Thieves Vinegar are either potent antibacterials or antivirals!

 

-

Jane MacRoss

Friday, September 05, 2008 8:06 AM

Vinegar of the Four Thieves

 

The (Antibacterial) Vinegar of the Four ThievesInspired by Better Basics for the Home, by Annie B. Bond (ThreeRivers Press, 1999). During the time of the Black Plague a family of perfumers robbed the dead. As perfumers they knew well the antiseptic essential oils, and they infused them in vinegar and rubbed them on their bodies; by doing so they protected themselves from certain death. The doctors of the time used the same herbs and essential oils to to protect themselves while tending so many who were contagious. They wore big cloaks over their heads that reached down well below their shoulders. Attached to the cloak over the nose and mouth was a 10” long canoe-like shaped beak full of antiseptic herbs and essential oils. Simple Solution:You can make natural antibacterial products like those that they used at home instead of buying commercial disinfectants that we are now finding out may cause drug resistance. Here is the famous Vinegar of The Four Thieves recipe;it is sometimes called Grave Robber’s Blend. Use it wherever you would normally use disinfectants.Place a small handful each of dried lavender, rosemary, sage, rue and mint in a large jar, and cover completely with organic apple cider vinegar. Cover tightly and set for six weeks. Strain into a spray bottle. Whereas no home can be made to be sterile, spray the powerfully antiseptic Vinegar of Four Thieves recipe in areas of concern, such as on cutting boards and door knobs, always making sure to avoid your eyes. Helpful Hints:This recipe is not technically a disinfectant (disinfectants have to be registered with the EPA as pesticides), but a spray with anti-bacterial properties.

 

Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.16/1651 - Release 9/4/2008 6:57 AM