When I read in the news this morning that a doctor – who had logged a month caring for Ebola victims in West Africa – had returned to New York City and merrily spent a week taking subways and cavorting in crowded places in one of the densest cities in the world before falling ill – I was utterly gob smacked. Someone who has seen the devastating results of the virus and was 100% cognizant of the incubation period had decided it was his right to run around sweating, sneezing, coughing etc on innocent people. If he survives the virus he should be put in jail for attempted manslaughter or clinical stupidity. I hope the Mayor exiles him from NY state – or better yet gives him a one way ticket to Liberia and revokes his U.S. passport.
Thanks Dr. Craig Spencer! Get out of NYC!
I don’t want to turn this post into a rant but it is fascinating for me to note that the U.S. is one of the ‘leaders’ in the world and yet our moronic president believes it’s OK to have 0 protocols in place when it comes to letting people into the U.S. who have been cleaning up vomit and diarrhea in West Africa of people dying from a virus that we have no understanding of or cure for. Obama went to Harvard but has he heard of the plague? Does he know that it was spread by ships coming into ports with rats who scurried off of it to spread their fleas? If the incubation period is 21 days for the virus then why aren’t we setting up quarantine centers on – Ellis Island for instance – and telling the world that anyone who wants to come in from West Africa has to be quarantined for six weeks. That should slow the traffic.
Why are our leaders not protecting us? Thomas Duncan lied to come into the U.S. And the criminally stupid doctor who was working for Doctors Without Borders gave full disclosure and was let in. Does screening really matter if it is 100% ineffective? What lessons have been learned here? Maybe Obama and NYC’s Mayor should be in the hospitals wiping up vomit and inserting catheters?
Which leads me to today’s topic. As the mother of a young child, I am determined for her not to ever fall into the care of any medical system. Especially in the U.S. which thinks it is really clever to pass out antibiotics like candy and insist that children under the age of six take the flu shot. This country is intent on creating super viruses while simultaneously wrecking the systems of its youngest citizens. Even my G.P. told me he tries to stop the bovine zombies who come in for flu shots. But they had already been brain-trained by Big Pharma which, along with other special interest groups, apparently run our country. Making us sick is a business that makes some people rich.
So, as a can-do woman, I started researching alternatives. Which led me to aromatherapy and essential oils. Now, while this article is not about convincing you about the magical powers of oils in plants which have withstood millions of years of evolution to survive (vs fifty plus years of synthetic drugs which can resolve problems – while wrecking other systems in our body, weakening our immunity and building superbugs), I do want people to start thinking about alternatives to conventional medicine – especially when it comes to children.
Here is a very small history of essential oils:
Sometime between 7000 and 4000 BCE, Neolithic tribes were preserving the plants’ aromatic and healing properties in melted animal fat. As a healing art, aromatherapy dates back to more than 5000 years to ancient Egypt. Almost every native culture used some form of essential oil. The Greek attributed the sweet oils to Divinity and took information from the Egyptians, discovering the tremendous value of myrrh in treating battle wounds. To end the plague of Athens, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine fumigated the city with aromatic substances. The Romans used oils to fight infections and also for pure pleasure in their baths and massages. Julius Caesar used oils to control his epilepsy. The Chinese, Persians and Arabs all used essential oils for medicine.
In the 14th century, during the Bubonic Plague, one-third to one-half of the population was destroyed. Aromatics were the only source of relief. People wore pomanders around their neck or burned oils like frankincense, pine or cedar in their homes. Amazingly, many perfumes and alchemists who worked directly with the oils were spared.
At the beginning of the 18th century, essential oils were used continuously in medicine. This continued until the early 20th century and brought about the discovery of many new, synthetic drugs.
Now, in my reading by Dr. Jean Valnet – one of the most famous proponents of the powers of essential oils – I came across a recipe for an antiseptic vinegar that was used by four thieves who were robbing the corpses of plagues victims during the times of the great plagues of Toulouse from 1628-1631.
This recipe centers around herbs that have been known for their antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, and antifungal properties for centuries.
According to legend, four thieves, one of whom was an herbalist, robbed the homes of many who had died of the plague. They were eventually caught and brought to trial. One version of the story recounts that they were sentenced to bury the dead but would be set free if they survived. Another version tells that they were released in return for the recipe for the tonic that they credited with protecting them from the plague.
Either way, the thieves survived, as did the legend and the recipe for their herbal vinegar. Though we hopefully won’t ever need this remedy for anything as serious as the plague, it still serves as a valuable remedy against many illnesses and is a powerful disinfectant and bug spray.
Vinegar of the Four Thieves Ingredients:
- 2 TBSP Thyme (dried)
- 2 TBSP Rosemary (dried)
- 2 TBSP Sage (dried)
- 2 TBSP Lavender (dried)
- 2 TBSP Mint (dried)
- 4-8 cloves of minced garlic (optional)
- One 32-ounce bottle of organic Apple Cider Vinegar with “the Mother”
[Note: Most herbs can be found locally, but are also available online at places like Mountain Rose Herbs]
How To Make the Vinegar of The Four Thieves:
- Put all the dried herbs and garlic (if using) into a large glass jar (I used half gallon)
- Pour the Vinegar over the herbs and garlic and seal tightly. The vinegar is strong enough to corrode some metal lids, so in this case, consider putting plastic wrap or a plastic bag on top and then putting the lid on.
- Leave in a cool, dark, place for 6-8 weeks (for health tonic recipe) shaking daily if possible.
- After 6-8 weeks, strain the herbs out using a small strainer and store tonic in smaller jars for easy use.
Uses for Four Thieves Herbal Vinegar
- This vinegar makes a very effective (though strong smelling!) insect repellent. If you make it to this strength, just put 1/4 cup of the vinegar in an 8-ounce spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Spray on skin, clothes, etc. when in heavily insect infested areas. We store in the fridge to minimize the vinegar smell and make more refreshing.
- In cases of illness, the Vinegar of the Four Thieves is very helpful in quick recovery. Adults can take 1 TBSP several times a day (dilute in water!!) and kids can take 1 Tsp several times a day (well diluted in water/herbal tea).
- When a family member is sick, diluting this with 1 part water and putting in a spray bottle will make a potent disinfectant that can be used on surfaces or sprayed in the air.
- I’ve had some people report really good success using this vinegar as a soak or topical spray for foot or nail fungus.
- Diluted and used on the scalp, this remedy is also said to be effective against dandruff.
- This vinegar makes an effective natural disinfectant spray for use in house cleaning.
The Vinegar of the Four Thieves smells awful and tastes almost as bad, but it is very effective against a variety of ailments! Plus, its healthier and cheaper than antibiotics!
It’s time for citizens to start protecting themselves since our elected leaders are unwilling to. WAKE UP WORLD! Knowledge is power!
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