The Bacon Grease Cure

As medicine has evolved, there have been a number of “old wives’ tales” and downright dangerous “cures” for many ailments. Black Death (Bubonic Plague) was no different. The Black Death was a 19th-century term that refers to the plague epidemic that swept through Europe between 1347 and 1352 CE, killing around 30 million people there and many more worldwide as it grew into a pandemic. It gets its name from the black buboes…swollen lymph nodes…that appeared on victim’s bodies. The plague was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, spread by fleas on rodents, usually rats, though people of the time didn’t know that. It wasn’t discovered until 1894 CE.

At the start of the hysteria, many blamed supernatural forces like God’s wrath, the devil’s work, or planetary alignments, along with “bad air” or imbalances in the body’s “humors,” believed to be key to good health. With no understanding of the disease’s cause, a cure was impossible, but people still tried remedies based on the era’s medical knowledge from figures like the Greek doctor Hippocrates, philosopher Aristotle, and Roman physician Galen, as well as religious beliefs, folklore, herbalism, and superstition. These cures, most ineffective and some deadly, fell into five main categories: animal-based treatments; potions, fumigations, bloodletting, and pastes; fleeing infected areas and persecuting marginalized communities; religious practices; and measures like quarantine and social distancing.

Most of these had little to no effect on the Black Death, but one “cure” that was even more outlandish than any other, was the “bacon grease” cure. Somehow, a rumor got started that the Black Death could be completely cured by drinking bacon grease!! The very thought makes me nauseous!! Maybe that was what made it seem like serious medicine, who knows. Nevertheless, the people, in their panicked state would jump at anything, no matter how bizarre looking it was, to cure this horrible disease. Of course, bacon grease did nothing against the plague. Basically, it was a waste of time…a disgusting waste of time. I don’t like eating the fat on meat, and for me, bacon must be extra, extra crispy…like almost burnt, in order to be eaten. I do love bacon, but not slimy, and I would never “eat” or “drink” the grease from the bacon. That is only good for one thing…the trash. I’m sure that in their panicked state, the people were open to suggestion on things, and that definitely shows in the use of bacon grease as a potential cure for the Black Death.