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Four thieves vinegar

January 01, 1970

Four thieves vinegar (also called thieves’ oil, Marseilles vinegar, Marseilles remedy, prophylactic vinegar, vinegar of the four thieves, camphorated acetic acid, vinaigre des quatre voleurs and acetum quator furum[1][2]) is a concoction of vinegar (either from red wine, white wine, cider, or distilled white) infused with herbs, spices or garlic that was believed to protect users from the plague.

Vinaigre des quatre voleurs

History edit

 
A 17th-century bottle

This specific vinegar composition is said to have been used during black death epidemic of the medieval period, to prevent the catching of the plague.[3] Similar herbal vinegars have been used as medicine since the time of Hippocrates.[citation needed]

Early recipes for this vinegar called for a number of herbs to be added into a vinegar solution and left to steep for several days. The following vinegar recipe hung in the Museum of Paris in 1937, and is said to have been an original copy of the recipe posted on the walls of Marseille during an episode of the plague:

Take three pints of strong white wine vinegar, add a handful of each of wormwood, meadowsweet, wild marjoram and sage, fifty cloves, two ounces of campanula roots, two ounces of angelica, rosemary and horehound and three large measures of camphor. Place the mixture in a container for fifteen days, strain and express then bottle. Use by rubbing it on the hands, ears and temples from time to time when approaching a plague victim.[3]

Plausible reasons for not contracting the plague was that the herbal concoction contained natural flea repellents, since the flea is the carrier for the plague bacillus, Yersinia pestis. Wormwood has properties similar to cedar as an insect repellent, as do aromatics such as sage, cloves, camphor, rosemary, and campanula. Meadowsweet, although known to contain salicylic acid, is mainly used to mask odors like decomposing bodies.[citation needed]

Another plausible reason for its effectiveness may be the antimicrobial properties of its constituents. Scientists have found wormwood, meadowsweet, wild marjoram, sage, cloves, campanula, angelica, rosemary, horehound and camphor to have antimicrobial properties.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Another recipe called for dried rosemary, dried sage flowers, dried lavender flowers,[14] fresh rue, camphor dissolved in spirit, sliced garlic, bruised cloves, and distilled wine vinegar.[15]

Modern-day versions include various herbs that typically include sage, lavender, thyme, and rosemary, along with garlic. Additional herbs sometimes include rue, mint, and wormwood. It has become traditional to use four herbs in the recipe—one for each thief, though earlier recipes often have a dozen herbs or more. It is still sold in Provence. In Italy a mixture called "seven thieves vinegar" is sold as a smelling salt, though its ingredients appear to be the same as in four thieves mixtures.[16]

Mythology edit

The usual story declares that a group of thieves during a European plague outbreak were robbing the dead or the sick. When they were caught, they offered to exchange their secret recipe, which had allowed them to commit the robberies without catching the disease, in exchange for leniency. Another version says that the thieves had already been caught before the outbreak and their sentence had been to bury dead plague victims; to survive this punishment, they created the vinegar. The city in which this happened is usually said to be Marseille or Toulouse, and the time period can be given as anywhere between the 14th and 18th century depending on the storyteller.[17]

An alternative theory says that "four thieves vinegar" could be a corruption of "Forthave's vinegar", a concoction sold and invented by one Richard Forthave. (Published in a brief article in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction.)[17] Another source, the book Abrégé de toute la médecine pratique (1741), seems to attribute its creation to George Bates, though Bates' own published recipe for antipestilential vinegar in his Pharmacopoeia Bateana does not specifically use the name 'thieves' or 'four thieves'.[citation needed]

Another humorous snippet in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, reads:[18]

A report of the plague in 1760 having been circulated,[19] Messrs. Chandler and Smith, apothecaries,[20] in Cheapside, had taken in a third partner, (Mr. Newsom,) and while the report prevailed, these gentlemen availed themselves of the popular opinion, and put a written notice in their windows of "Four Thieves' Vinegar sold here." Mr. Ball, an old apothecary,[21] was passing by, and observing this, went into the shop. "What," said he, "have you taken in another partner?"—"No."—"Oh! I beg your pardon," replied Ball, "I thought you had, by the ticket in your window."

References edit

  1. ^ See Albert Allis Hopkins, The Scientific American Encyclopedia of Formulas: partly based upon the 28th ed. of Scientific American cyclopedia of receipts, notes and queries (Munns & Co., Inc., 1910), 878; Henry Power & Leonard William Sedgwick, The New Sydenham Society’s Lexicon of Medicine and Allied Sciences (New Sydenham Society, 1881); Matthieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila, Practical Chemistry; Or, A Description of the Processes by which the Various Articles of Chemical Research, in the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Kingdoms, are Procured (Thomas Dobson and Son, at the Stone house, no. 41, South Second Street., 1818), 2; Thomas Byerley & John Timbs, The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction; (Volume 12, 1828), 89; J.A. Paris, Pharmacologia (Volume 2, 1825), 18.
  2. ^ Illes, Judika (2008). Magic When You Need It. Weiser Books. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-57863-419-4
  3. ^ a b Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, Gattefosse’s Aromatherapy (CW Daniel Company, Ltd. First published in Paris, France in 1937 by Girardot & Cie.), 85–86.
  4. ^ Kim, Wan-Su; Choi, Woo Jin; Lee, Sunwoo; Kim, Woo Joong; Lee, Dong Chae; Sohn, Uy Dong; Shin, Hyoung-Shik; Kim, Wonyong (2015). "Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Effects of Artemisinin Extracts from Artemisia annua L." The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology. 19 (1): 21–27. doi:10.4196/kjpp.2015.19.1.21. ISSN 1226-4512. PMC 4297758. PMID 25605993.
  5. ^ P, Denev; M, Kratchanova; M, Ciz; A, Lojek; O, Vasicek; D, Blazheva; P, Nedelcheva; L, Vojtek; P, Hyrsl (2014). "Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Neutrophil-Modulating Activities of Herb Extracts". Acta Biochimica Polonica. 61 (2): 359–67. doi:10.18388/abp.2014_1907. PMID 24945135.
  6. ^ Bina, Fatemeh; Rahimi, Roja (2017). "Sweet Marjoram". Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 22 (1): 175–185. doi:10.1177/2156587216650793. ISSN 2156-5872. PMC 5871212. PMID 27231340.
  7. ^ Beheshti-Rouy, Maryam; Azarsina, Mohadese; Rezaie-Soufi, Loghman; Alikhani, Mohammad Yousef; Roshanaie, Ghodratollah; Komaki, Samira (2015). "The antibacterial effect of sage extract (Salvia officinalis) mouthwash against Streptococcus mutans in dental plaque: a randomized clinical trial". Iranian Journal of Microbiology. 7 (3): 173–177. ISSN 2008-3289. PMC 4676988. PMID 26668706.
  8. ^ Nuñez, L.; Aquino, M. D’ (2012). "Microbicide activity of clove essential oil (Eugenia caryophyllata)". Brazilian Journal of Microbiology. 43 (4): 1255–1260. doi:10.1590/S1517-83822012000400003. ISSN 1517-8382. PMC 3769004. PMID 24031950.
  9. ^ O, Politeo; M, Skocibusic; F, Burcul; A, Maravic; I, Carev; M, Ruscic; M, Milos (2013). "Campanula Portenschlagiana ROEM. Et SCHULT.: Chemical and Antimicrobial Activities". Chemistry & Biodiversity. 10 (6): 1072–80. doi:10.1002/cbdv.201200094. PMID 23776022. S2CID 2185651.
  10. ^ Mg, Aćimović; Sđ, Pavlović; Ao, Varga; Vm, Filipović; Mt, Cvetković; Jm, Stanković; Is, Čabarkapa (2017). "Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Angelica Archangelica Root Essential Oil". Natural Product Communications. 12 (2): 205–206. PMID 30428212.
  11. ^ Nieto, Gema; Ros, Gaspar; Castillo, Julián (2018-09-04). "Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, L.): A Review". Medicines. 5 (3): 98. doi:10.3390/medicines5030098. ISSN 2305-6320. PMC 6165352. PMID 30181448.
  12. ^ Quave, Cassandra L.; Plano, Lisa R.W.; Pantuso, Traci; Bennett, Bradley C. (2008-08-13). "Effects of extracts from Italian medicinal plants on planktonic growth, biofilm formation and adherence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 118 (3): 418–428. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.05.005. ISSN 0378-8741. PMC 2553885. PMID 18556162.
  13. ^ Chen, Weiyang; Vermaak, Ilze; Viljoen, Alvaro (2013-05-10). "Camphor—A Fumigant during the Black Death and a Coveted Fragrant Wood in Ancient Egypt and Babylon—A Review". Molecules. 18 (5): 5434–5454. doi:10.3390/molecules18055434. ISSN 1420-3049. PMC 6270224. PMID 23666009.
  14. ^ Houdret, Jessica. (2006). The practical guide to using herbs : knowing, growing, cooking. Lorenz. ISBN 978-0-7548-1647-8. OCLC 84543649.
  15. ^ Hopkins, The Scientific American Encyclopedia of Formulas, 1910, 878.
  16. ^ . Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  17. ^ a b "Four Thieves Vinegar: Evolution of a Medieval Medicine". PlagueSage.com.
  18. ^ "Four Thieves' Vinegar". The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. 10 (272): 165. 8 September 1827.
  19. ^ (in St. Thomas' Hospital): see The Letters of Horace Walpole, earl of Orford, Vol III. Philadelphia: Lea and Blanchard (1842), p. 70. NB Letter to Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet. Baron Philipp von Stosch was a collector of engraved gems, fine art, and young men.
  20. ^ Bettany, George Thomas (1885–1900). "Chandler, John" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  21. ^ A William Ball worked at the City of London Lying-in Hospital, City Road, in 1789. The Royal Kalendar, or Complete and Correct Annual Register for England, Scotland, Ireland and America. London: Printed for J. Debrett. 1789. p. 238. NB Arthur Irwin Dasent's signature appears on the flyleaf.

External links edit

  • Article from 'US National Library of Medicine'. Antimicrobial Properties of Plant Essential Oils Against Human Pathogens And Their Mode Of Action: An Updated Review

January 01, 1970
four, thieves, vinegar, also, called, thieves, marseilles, vinegar, marseilles, remedy, prophylactic, vinegar, vinegar, four, thieves, camphorated, acetic, acid, vinaigre, quatre, voleurs, acetum, quator, furum, concoction, vinegar, either, from, wine, white, . Four thieves vinegar also called thieves oil Marseilles vinegar Marseilles remedy prophylactic vinegar vinegar of the four thieves camphorated acetic acid vinaigre des quatre voleurs and acetum quator furum 1 2 is a concoction of vinegar either from red wine white wine cider or distilled white infused with herbs spices or garlic that was believed to protect users from the plague Vinaigre des quatre voleurs Contents 1 History 2 Mythology 3 References 4 External linksHistory edit nbsp A 17th century bottle This specific vinegar composition is said to have been used during black death epidemic of the medieval period to prevent the catching of the plague 3 Similar herbal vinegars have been used as medicine since the time of Hippocrates citation needed Early recipes for this vinegar called for a number of herbs to be added into a vinegar solution and left to steep for several days The following vinegar recipe hung in the Museum of Paris in 1937 and is said to have been an original copy of the recipe posted on the walls of Marseille during an episode of the plague Take three pints of strong white wine vinegar add a handful of each of wormwood meadowsweet wild marjoram and sage fifty cloves two ounces of campanula roots two ounces of angelica rosemary and horehound and three large measures of camphor Place the mixture in a container for fifteen days strain and express then bottle Use by rubbing it on the hands ears and temples from time to time when approaching a plague victim 3 Plausible reasons for not contracting the plague was that the herbal concoction contained natural flea repellents since the flea is the carrier for the plague bacillus Yersinia pestis Wormwood has properties similar to cedar as an insect repellent as do aromatics such as sage cloves camphor rosemary and campanula Meadowsweet although known to contain salicylic acid is mainly used to mask odors like decomposing bodies citation needed Another plausible reason for its effectiveness may be the antimicrobial properties of its constituents Scientists have found wormwood meadowsweet wild marjoram sage cloves campanula angelica rosemary horehound and camphor to have antimicrobial properties 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Another recipe called for dried rosemary dried sage flowers dried lavender flowers 14 fresh rue camphor dissolved in spirit sliced garlic bruised cloves and distilled wine vinegar 15 Modern day versions include various herbs that typically include sage lavender thyme and rosemary along with garlic Additional herbs sometimes include rue mint and wormwood It has become traditional to use four herbs in the recipe one for each thief though earlier recipes often have a dozen herbs or more It is still sold in Provence In Italy a mixture called seven thieves vinegar is sold as a smelling salt though its ingredients appear to be the same as in four thieves mixtures 16 Mythology editThe usual story declares that a group of thieves during a European plague outbreak were robbing the dead or the sick When they were caught they offered to exchange their secret recipe which had allowed them to commit the robberies without catching the disease in exchange for leniency Another version says that the thieves had already been caught before the outbreak and their sentence had been to bury dead plague victims to survive this punishment they created the vinegar The city in which this happened is usually said to be Marseille or Toulouse and the time period can be given as anywhere between the 14th and 18th century depending on the storyteller 17 An alternative theory says that four thieves vinegar could be a corruption of Forthave s vinegar a concoction sold and invented by one Richard Forthave Published in a brief article in The Mirror of Literature Amusement and Instruction 17 Another source the book Abrege de toute la medecine pratique 1741 seems to attribute its creation to George Bates though Bates own published recipe for antipestilential vinegar in his Pharmacopoeia Bateana does not specifically use the name thieves or four thieves citation needed Another humorous snippet in The Mirror of Literature Amusement and Instruction reads 18 A report of the plague in 1760 having been circulated 19 Messrs Chandler and Smith apothecaries 20 in Cheapside had taken in a third partner Mr Newsom and while the report prevailed these gentlemen availed themselves of the popular opinion and put a written notice in their windows of Four Thieves Vinegar sold here Mr Ball an old apothecary 21 was passing by and observing this went into the shop What said he have you taken in another partner No Oh I beg your pardon replied Ball I thought you had by the ticket in your window References edit See Albert Allis Hopkins The Scientific American Encyclopedia of Formulas partly based upon the 28th ed of Scientific American cyclopedia of receipts notes and queries Munns amp Co Inc 1910 878 Henry Power amp Leonard William Sedgwick The New Sydenham Society s Lexicon of Medicine and Allied Sciences New Sydenham Society 1881 Matthieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila Practical Chemistry Or A Description of the Processes by which the Various Articles of Chemical Research in the Animal Vegetable and Mineral Kingdoms are Procured Thomas Dobson and Son at the Stone house no 41 South Second Street 1818 2 Thomas Byerley amp John Timbs The Mirror of Literature Amusement and Instruction Volume 12 1828 89 J A Paris Pharmacologia Volume 2 1825 18 Illes Judika 2008 Magic When You Need It Weiser Books p 138 ISBN 978 1 57863 419 4 a b Rene Maurice Gattefosse Gattefosse s Aromatherapy CW Daniel Company Ltd First published in Paris France in 1937 by Girardot amp Cie 85 86 Kim Wan Su Choi Woo Jin Lee Sunwoo Kim Woo Joong Lee Dong Chae Sohn Uy Dong Shin Hyoung Shik Kim Wonyong 2015 Anti inflammatory Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Effects of Artemisinin Extracts from Artemisia annua L The Korean Journal of Physiology amp Pharmacology 19 1 21 27 doi 10 4196 kjpp 2015 19 1 21 ISSN 1226 4512 PMC 4297758 PMID 25605993 P Denev M Kratchanova M Ciz A Lojek O Vasicek D Blazheva P Nedelcheva L Vojtek P Hyrsl 2014 Antioxidant Antimicrobial and Neutrophil Modulating Activities of Herb Extracts Acta Biochimica Polonica 61 2 359 67 doi 10 18388 abp 2014 1907 PMID 24945135 Bina Fatemeh Rahimi Roja 2017 Sweet Marjoram Journal of Evidence Based Complementary amp Alternative Medicine 22 1 175 185 doi 10 1177 2156587216650793 ISSN 2156 5872 PMC 5871212 PMID 27231340 Beheshti Rouy Maryam Azarsina Mohadese Rezaie Soufi Loghman Alikhani Mohammad Yousef Roshanaie Ghodratollah Komaki Samira 2015 The antibacterial effect of sage extract Salvia officinalis mouthwash against Streptococcus mutans in dental plaque a randomized clinical trial Iranian Journal of Microbiology 7 3 173 177 ISSN 2008 3289 PMC 4676988 PMID 26668706 Nunez L Aquino M D 2012 Microbicide activity of clove essential oil Eugenia caryophyllata Brazilian Journal of Microbiology 43 4 1255 1260 doi 10 1590 S1517 83822012000400003 ISSN 1517 8382 PMC 3769004 PMID 24031950 O Politeo M Skocibusic F Burcul A Maravic I Carev M Ruscic M Milos 2013 Campanula Portenschlagiana ROEM Et SCHULT Chemical and Antimicrobial Activities Chemistry amp Biodiversity 10 6 1072 80 doi 10 1002 cbdv 201200094 PMID 23776022 S2CID 2185651 Mg Acimovic Sđ Pavlovic Ao Varga Vm Filipovic Mt Cvetkovic Jm Stankovic Is Cabarkapa 2017 Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Angelica Archangelica Root Essential Oil Natural Product Communications 12 2 205 206 PMID 30428212 Nieto Gema Ros Gaspar Castillo Julian 2018 09 04 Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis L A Review Medicines 5 3 98 doi 10 3390 medicines5030098 ISSN 2305 6320 PMC 6165352 PMID 30181448 Quave Cassandra L Plano Lisa R W Pantuso Traci Bennett Bradley C 2008 08 13 Effects of extracts from Italian medicinal plants on planktonic growth biofilm formation and adherence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus Journal of Ethnopharmacology 118 3 418 428 doi 10 1016 j jep 2008 05 005 ISSN 0378 8741 PMC 2553885 PMID 18556162 Chen Weiyang Vermaak Ilze Viljoen Alvaro 2013 05 10 Camphor A Fumigant during the Black Death and a Coveted Fragrant Wood in Ancient Egypt and Babylon A Review Molecules 18 5 5434 5454 doi 10 3390 molecules18055434 ISSN 1420 3049 PMC 6270224 PMID 23666009 Houdret Jessica 2006 The practical guide to using herbs knowing growing cooking Lorenz ISBN 978 0 7548 1647 8 OCLC 84543649 Hopkins The Scientific American Encyclopedia of Formulas 1910 878 Cooker NET Aceto dei 7 Ladri Archived from the original on 2016 03 03 Retrieved 2011 01 04 a b Four Thieves Vinegar Evolution of a Medieval Medicine PlagueSage com Four Thieves Vinegar The Mirror of Literature Amusement and Instruction 10 272 165 8 September 1827 in St Thomas Hospital see The Letters of Horace Walpole earl of Orford Vol III Philadelphia Lea and Blanchard 1842 p 70 NB Letter to Sir Horace Mann 1st Baronet Baron Philipp von Stosch was a collector of engraved gems fine art and young men Bettany George Thomas 1885 1900 Chandler John Dictionary of National Biography London Smith Elder amp Co A William Ball worked at the City of London Lying in Hospital City Road in 1789 The Royal Kalendar or Complete and Correct Annual Register for England Scotland Ireland and America London Printed for J Debrett 1789 p 238 NB Arthur Irwin Dasent s signature appears on the flyleaf External links editArticle from US National Library of Medicine Antimicrobial Properties of Plant Essential Oils Against Human Pathogens And Their Mode Of Action An Updated Review Portal nbsp Food Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Four thieves vinegar amp oldid 1174284795, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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