Essential oils: pests and thieves: an appropriate tale for today
Essential oils are a hot topic today. Just consider all the television commercials for air fresheners and aromatherapy candles which are nothing more than synthetic perfume oils at best. Here’s an interesting fact from the history of pests and thieves and how through aromatherapy a group of thieves almost got away with robbing the dead and dying. In the Middle Ages, thanks to caravans from the East and returning crusaders, Europeans were exposed to many of the “perfumes of Arabia”. It is recorded in history that when Europe was besieged by the plague (Black Death), herbalists, spice merchants and perfumers seemed immune. When the plague was at its peak, it was discovered that certain thieves could go among the dead and dying to rob them and they never contracted the plague. When forced to tell how they did it, they confessed that they soaped themselves up with a concoction that included cloves and rosemary and many other aromatic oils. His secret was made public and posted for all to see.
Aromatics seemed to be the best antiseptic available to people at the time against the plague. They used scented candles to burn in their sick rooms. Its churches and other public buildings were fumigated twice a week with sulfur, hops, pepper and incense and aromatic plants were scattered in its streets. Every twelve hours bonfires made of pine or wood were lit in the streets that emitted a pungent smell. These measures were believed to help clear the air of the plague.
Tea Oven thieves vinegar appears in the museum of old Marseille:
“Take 3 pints of strong white wine vinegar, add a handful 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. Mix in a container for 15 days, strain and squeeze, then bottle. Use it by rubbing it on your hands, ears and temples from time to time when you approach plague victims. “
Thieves (TM) is an oil blend containing clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus and rosemary oils inspired by the thieves of this medieval story. This oil was tested at Weber State University in 1997 for its powerful antimicrobial properties. It was found that he had 99.96 percent death rate against airborne bacteria. Woof! Here’s a story from the past that we can capitalize on in our modern world that is still plagued with pests. The most notable is MRSA. This is the deadly antibiotic-resistant disease that is spreading through hospitals across the country. How can you protect yourself from this current plague? Heed this story and protect yourself with medicinal 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.