Natural Remedies: The Four Thieves ~ Fact or Folklore?

Several years back I accepted an invitation to add links to a Pinterest Group Board which shares information about Natural Remedies and Healthy Lifestyle.  As of today, the board has over 30,000 followers. No surprise really. It seems every other day there is a short advertisement or infomercial on television advising people who had taken a particular prescription medication that they may be entitled to damages and to contact some law firm about it. It's very disheartening. People don't go to a physician so they can sue later for the drugs prescribed to cure their ailments. DUH!

More and more people are turning … or should I say returning … to natural remedies. Not sure if there is a fine line of distinction between holistic healthcare, or alternative medicine, or natural remedies. To me they are all the same in that, i.e. from my point of view, they recommend a cure or possible cure for an ailment that does not result in 20+ other symptoms or health problems that you didn't have before you started taking the treatment and medication.

Vinaigre des quatre voleurs (Vinegar of the Four Thieves)

Have you ever heard of "The Four Thieves"?  

Some say there was a medication invented by 4 thieves and it helped as a treatment for those suffering from bubonic plague or "The Black Death".  Supposedly the thieves stole from graves of people who had died from the plague but for some reason they never got infected.  (O.o)

The Four Thieves. Doesn't that sound like the title for a medieval mystery book or something like the Cadfael Mysteries? It's not. It's a blend of clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary (with lemon) used to fight infections. (NOTE:  This recipe varies.)  

The true story or maybe it's just legend … nobody knows for sure … the tale is that four thieves were stealing the corpses of people who had died from the bubonic plague or the Black Death. The authorities finally caught them and wanted to know why they weren't dying. They agreed to tell their “healing secret” but only in exchange for clemency. The tale may be a total fiction but it's a FACT that many people have been using the 4 Thieves essential oil (some call it "vinegar") for centuries.

There is a lot circulating on the Internet about this.  Below are a few information links for you to glean additional details.  

• Four Thieves: From medicine to magick | Spiral Nature Magazine
• Thieves Vinegar - Immune Booster and Germ Killer
• Four Thieves Vinegar Spray | Mother Earth Living
• 8 Impressive Thieves Essential Oil Benefits & Uses | Organic Facts
• Thieves Oil - 50 Ways To Use Thieves Essential Oil - All Things Mamma

Have you ever tried the 4 Thieves Remedy?

Or do you think it's just folklore and the herbs have no use against infection or any practical health application?

Retro Vintage Kitsch Medical Black Death Plague Postcard by curious_goods Design Full color postcards at zazzle.com

Black Death Rat Posters by Necrotees Shop for Plague Posters online at Zazzle.com

"a collection of household tips, medical cures, clothing care, and old recipes from the 1800s and 1900s." Vinegar of the Four Thieves: Recipes & Curious Tips from the Past by Causey, Donna R ~ https://t.co/ETACIg6BTy via @amazon @Rx4Wellness2018 @goshoppingbees @EverydaySpices pic.twitter.com/kaY2go73Ew

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) September 26, 2021

*
Original Content Source