 Where did the vinegar based solution in pomanders come from (8498)
This is the first of several doctors pomanders,those without lids. Early Doctor’s pomanders with pique have always been a very collectable cane, but I think they are under priced compared to the number of them, compared to the number of regular pique canes. I bought these two canes from Michael German about 8 years ago for $2500 each. He has one of the finest cane stores in the world in London. They have been a good investment, from what I can see they sell for today. A 4* on the scarcity scale and F value 6000 to 12000. This Doctor’s cane is dated 1707, which is why I bought this one. I like the fact, I know exactly when it was made. Although the regular one is considered to have been made in the 1600’s and is larger, I like the story that goes with the Doctor’s one better, and therefore I think it has more value. I can’t remember where I heard or read it, but I’m going to repeat it from memory. I assume its fiction, and that there are historical inaccuracies attached to it, but it’s a great story. It’s called the story of the four thieves. Once upon a time during the bubonic plague in France, the early 1700’s, there lived four thieves. Now these four thieves liked to steal. One day they said, “Let’s go rob the room they are throwing all the dead bodies into, for there should be a lot of loot in there.” For men who liked to steal, that sounded like a good idea, but they said,” Surely we will get sick and die.” Then the smartest one said, he was a defrocked Doctor, “ We will make a special solution that we will call the solution of the four thieves, in case we get caught.” What shall we make it from they said, “Let’s make it from this bottle of vinegar, as it smells terrible. We need to smell something that is worse than the thought of dieing.” That sounded like a good idea and they all agreed. After they robbed the bodies, they intended to make their getaway in a horse and cart. When they ran out with their loot and put it in the cart, the smart one noticed the horse was dead, as they had forgotten to fill it with grain. As they were pulling the cart away, they were arrested for littering, as they had left the horse.
The jondarms (I couldn’t figure out how to spell jondarms) that arrested them noticed the loot sticking out of the cart and said,” How did you steel all this stuff from all those dead bodies and live to tell about it?” ” We smelled this special solution.” They said What is it they demanded to know. It’s the solution of the four thieves, but we won’t tell you what’s in it unless you let us go AND let us keep our loot. They thought long and hard, and by that time most of the thinkers were dead, so those who were left said Okey Dokey.
Oh Yaw the thieves demanded they take the littering ticket back, get rid of the horse, and they lived happily ever after. For 150 years doctors carried the solution of the four thieves in their canes, and held it to their noses whenever they went into a sick room, and it worked. You can see why I like the pomanders better.
Category: Gadget
Sub Category: City - Manufactured
Listed: 2006-08-25 00:22:32
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