Saturday, October 4, 2008

Who Says Crime Doesn't Pay

So, as legend (or more accurately, legends) has it, there were four thieves who ran rampant during 13th century plague-ridden France, robbing left and right. The French government, totally overwhelmed with nearly 1/3 of the population dying horrible deaths, searched high and low to capture the audacious robbers. The funny thing, though, is that they wanted the criminals not for their crimes but to find out how they successfully avoided getting sick. It turns out that these petty thieves were really smart! They figured out that by infusing vinegar (antiseptic and antibacterial in its own right) with highly antiseptic herbs, then saturating their clothing and facemasks with the solution, they could rob the dead and dying without succumbing to the plague themselves. Although there are many different variations of the recipe, the one that comes up most often includes: thyme (think original version of Listerine), sage, lavender, hyssop, wormwood and peppermint. All the above herbs have strong antiseptic properties that are drawn out by a long soak in vinegar. After about a month of “brewing,” the Vinegar of the Four Thieves is an excellent substitution for commercial disinfectants. In fact, several “green” hospitals regularly use vinegar for cleaning patient rooms. The Four Thieves version can be diluted with water and used in any situation where one might usually reach for Purell™ or other “antibacterial” products. The version that plain jane’s makes is as listed above with the exception of wormwood (used to make absinthe) and rue (which can be unsafe for those with immune system disorders). The result is a wonderful smelling, highly effective, and SAFE disinfectant spray. It’s also a great skin toner, bug repellant, and makes killer salad dressing! Many Europeans actually add up to a tablespoon to their drinking water to boost their resistance to colds, flu and infections. So who says that crime doesn’t pay!