Essential oils - plagues and thieves - a story that is appropriate for today

Essential oils - plagues and thieves - a story that is appropriate for today

Essential oils are a hot topic today. Just think of all the TV commercials for air fresheners and aromatherapy candles that are, at best, synthetic perfume oils. Here's an interesting tidbit from the story about plagues and thieves and how a bunch of thieves almost got away with robbing the dead and dying through aromatherapy. In the Middle Ages, thanks to the caravans from the East and the returning crusaders, Europeans were many of the“Perfumes of Arabia.”It is recorded in history that when Europe was besieged by the plague (Black Death), the herbalists, spice traders and perfumers seemed immune. When the plague was in full swing, it was discovered that certain thieves could go to the dead and dying to rob them and never become infected with the plague. When forced to tell how they did it, they confessed that they had lathered themselves with a concoction that containedClove and rosemaryand many other aromatic oils. Her secret has been made public and posted for all to see.

Aromatics seemed to be the best antiseptic available to people against the plague at the time. They used scented candles to burn in their hospital rooms. Their churches and other public buildings were fumigated twice weekly with sulfur, hops, pepper, and incense, and aromatic plants were strewn on their streets. Every twelve hours, fires from pine or forest fires were lit in the streets, giving off a pungent smell. It was believed that these measures would help clear the air of the plague.

TheFour thieves vinegarappears in the Museum of Old Marseille:

"Take 3 liters of strong white wine vinegar, add a handful each of wormwood, meadowsweet, wild marjoram and sage, 50 cloves, 2 ounces of campanula roots, 2 ounces of angelica, rosemary and horehound and 3 large measures of camphor. Place the mixture in a container, strain and squeeze for 15 days, then bottle. Rub on hands, ears and temples from time to time if you approach plague victims.”

Thieves (TM)is an oil blend with clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus and rosemary oils, inspired by the thieves in this medieval story. This oil was tested for its powerful antimicrobial properties at Weber State University in 1997. It was found that99.96 percent kill rateagainst airborne bacteria. Impressive! Here is a story from the past that we can benefit from in our modern world, still plagued by plagues. Most notable isMRSA. This is the antibiotic-resistant deadly disease that is spreading in hospitals nationwide. How can you protect yourself from this modern plague? Heed this story and protect yourself with medical or therapeutic grade essential oils. Educational courses in aromatherapy can help you understand the science behind therapeutic-grade essential oils. We can arm ourselves with protection against deadly diseases.