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| Four Thieves Notes; Plague Herbs | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 24 2011, 02:56 AM (468 Views) | |
| yass | Jan 24 2011, 02:56 AM Post #1 |
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The strangest dream x3 1-23-11 I started to post this at 8:30 AM then changed my mind. For one I feel it is difficult to articulate and for the other it's just plain odd. I might have left it go altogether but few hours ago I ran across something Cathy O'Brien wrote and it made me think of the dream again and now I feel kind of compelled to post it. I woke up three times while I was sleeping. I sat straight up coughing and it was the dream that gave me the cough. It was the same dream and the same cough all three times. It was kind of a violent choking cough and felt like someone was in my lungs tickling with a feather. It was a very wet cough at the time. I sat up, coughed it out, thought about the dream that came with it, that each time I said this came from the dream, laid down, and went back to sleep... well, that is until the third time I woke up which is when I attempted to put it in a post. Unfortunately, the details ran away upon consciousness but I can remember that I was reading/reviewing, it had something to do with Duvalier/Preval (Haiti) the choking cough was intended (I know it doesn't make sense but that's how it played out) and had to do with the dream, and it repeated three times. I did sleep once more after that but I didn't dream that or cough any more. I'd been on a search earlier trying to determine the bloodlines of Duvalier to see if he was possibly related to other well knowns, such as Obama, Kerry, the Royals, etc., and I didn't turn up anything like that but turned up other misc. info, among which a page that begins talking about David Icke's work, then goes on to post excerpts from various documents or pages, among which is this:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/08/295883.shtml It's a strange story she tells and I don't know what coughing has to do with plague per se, but all the same it put me right in mind of my dream and doubly troubled me thinking that plague would be distributed through communion wafers! I've been doing a study of late on herbs used for plague lately... * * * I posted the above at another forum. Here, I will begin to collect notes on herbs used for plague (and misc. other herbs/uses). |
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| yass | Jan 24 2011, 03:05 AM Post #2 |
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Right out of notepad... had saved under 'whooping cough'... luckily I found it. I figured out for the first time how to search documents. Funny that you can use a computer for years and still not know all the features... This is random herb notes in which I included those that mentioned 'plague'. I saved tracts of information for various reasons. I may edit this post over time. Calamus - The powder of the roasted calamus is a valuable home remedy for children suffering from whooping cough. A pinch of this powder can be given with honey. Being antispasmodic, it prevents the severe bouts of coughing. For smaller children, the dose must be proportionately smaller. side notes - It is useful in the treatment of asthma; it removes catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. About 65 centigrams of the herb is taken every 2 or 3 hours in this condition. good for cholera? - Calamus is a valuable remedy for chronic diarrhea. It is also effective in chronic dysentery, due to the presence of tannins. Its infusion can be given to children suffering from these ailments. hunger
used for plague Angelica (Archangelica angelica) Knab: "According to archaeological diggings, angelica was known in Poland 2500 years ago. It was also found in old Polish monasteries of the 12th century and called the Herb of the Holy Ghost." "According to Syrennius, 'the powder of this root will free the chest and lungs of fluid and also be of service to those heavy in childbearing; a syrup of the root boiled in wine or honey will draw out any poisons or venom.' He also suggested "In the event of a some kind of troublesome misfortune, gather the root with care during the descent of the lion's cub [Leo?] and hang it around your neck. It will drive away cares and cause a merry heart." p. 89 In Western Europe, angelica was widely used in preventives and remedies for the plague. It's a major ingredient in Benedictine, originally a medicinal cordial. Angelica is also native to Russia. Garlic The use of garlic and onions in Eastern Europe in food was proverbial. Smith & Christian cite the 17th century Sir Thomas Smith on Russia: "Garlicke and Onions, must besauce many of my words, as then it did the most parte of their dishes," and go on, "Garlic was the Russian's third doctor (the first two were the bath and vodka)", which is probably postperiod but indicates health motivations as well as flavor preferences for using garlic. Knab points out, "In his herbal, Syreniusz listed almost one hundred medicinal uses for garlic including: increasing urination, opening the veins of the liver and giving aid to asthmatics." p. 115. In later years, garlic hung over the door was an anti-witch/anti-misfortune charm: it's unclear whether this practice dates from period. According to Struzková and Beranová, Bohemian practitioners used garlic as a preventative but warned against the dangers of eating it as well -- it seems to have been bad for hotblooded people but especially good for intestinal troubles. Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) As advised by Pliny, Lemon balm was used to smear the inside of beehives. Marcin of Urzedow: "The bees find it a real delight. . . it is good to have this herb near bees." (Knab, p. 129) Knab continues: Syreniusz recommended lemon balm for headaches, heart and stomach ailments, mushroom poisoning as well as for rheumatism and asthma. Its other attributes included: "It gladdens the heart, works well for those sad and melancholy and warms the stomach." Taken at night, lemon balm was said to "remove from the body melancholy blood, nightmares and make one merry." (Knab, . 129) Blessed Thistle It is said to have obtained its name from its high reputation as a heal-all, being supposed even to cure the plague. It is mentioned in all the treatises on the Plague, and especially by Thomas Brasbridge, who in 1578 published his Poore Man's Jewell, that is to say, a Treatise of the Pestilence, unto which is annexed a declaration of the vertues of the Hearbes Carduus Benedictus and Angelica. Shakespeare in Much Ado about Nothing, says: 'Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus and lay it to your heart; it is the only thing for a qualm.... I mean plain Holy Thistle.' The 'distilled' leaves, it says 'helpeth the hart,' 'expelleth all poyson taken in at the mouth and other corruption that doth hurt and annoye the hart,' and 'the juice of it is outwardly applied to the bodie' ('lay it to your heart,' Sh.), 'therefore I counsell all that have Gardens to nourish it, that they may have it always to their own use, and the use of their neighbours that lacke it.' Sage (Salvia Officinalis) Knab says that sage was brought to Poland in the 16th century, and that "three sage leaves ingested in the morning were thought to protect one the whole day 'against the plague and pestilential airs.'" (p. 157) It was probably used to treat throat ailments as a drink or gargle. Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) Marcin of Urzedow noted its soaplike qualities and Syrenniusz suggested it as a diuretic, liver tonic and cough treatment. (Knab, p. 162) Zevin also mentions the use of Rupturewort, Herniaria glabra, for soapy lather for washing wool, 'centuries ago'. Labdanum: Dembinska suggests that this resin may have been imported to Poland and 'carried in the pocket as prevention against bubonic plague' (p 42) CISTUS creticus (Cretan). fl., petals purple, yellow at the base, imbricate; sepals villous; peduncles one-flowered. June. l. spathu-late-ovate, tomentosely-hairy, wrinkled, drawn out along the short footstalk, and waved on the margin. h. 2ft. Crete, 1731. (S. F. G. 495.) This, and some other species in the Levant, yield labdanum, a resin which was largely used as a medicine during the prevalence of the Plague. It is collected by whipping the plants with long thongs attached to a rake-like frame, the resin adhering to the straps. At the present time, it is principally used as a perfume in Turkey. http://www.factopia.com/c/cistus_gardening.html Edited by yass, Jan 30 2011, 04:44 PM.
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| yass | Jan 24 2011, 03:22 AM Post #3 |
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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, Jean 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 check 50 cloves 2 oz. elecampane root noted 2 oz. angelica check 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 check 40 g. mint 40 g. rue 40 g. lavender 5 g. calamus check 5 g. cinnamon 5 g. clove 5 g. nutmeg 5 g. garlic check - will post 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. John Christopher 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 Richard 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. John Christopher Plague Formula 8 parts apple cider vinegar preferred vinegar 5 parts glycerine U.S.P. 5 parts honey study, if ok'd then raw unfiltered 2 parts garlic juice, fresh check - will post 2 parts comfrey root concentrate* hmmm 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, Karen Vaughn, Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist. looks interesting 1 pint unpasteurized apple cider vinegar good 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 check - will post 3 oz ginger finely sliced See Tine's Wellness Programme 4 oz echinacea tincture http://www.kitchendoctor.com/essays/four_thieves.php |
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8:52 AM Jul 13