Anyone who tuned into the July 30 edition of “History Happy Hour” was treated to a presentation of folk remedies, witchcraft and a “liquid” way of beating any plague.

The episode, “Early Pennsylvania Dutch Therapies for Pandemics and Other Diseases,” was hosted by Lehigh Valley with Love Media’s George Wacker.

The evening’s sponsored spirit was TomBoy Straight Bourbon from Social Still, 530 E. Third St., Bethlehem.

The featured presenter was Dr. Ned Heindel, retired professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology from Lehigh University, a member of the Williams Township Historical Society and author on local folk medicine practices.

Wacker presented a timeline of different pandemics which have affected the world over the course of history from bubonic plague in 1346, to cholera and measles in the 1800s, to the 1918 flu pandemic and the 2019 novel coronavirus.

“We want to think about these people, in these times, dealt with it,” Wacker said. “They didn’t have the medicines of today … What could you do before modern medicines? What did people do to combat pandemics?”

Heindel then described Hexenkopf Rock in Williams Township.

The rock, shaped like a witch’s head, has been known for more than two centuries by locals as a gathering location for witches.

Heindel said witches gather at the rock at least twice a year - April 30 during Sabbath Day, the night before the Devil’s birthday, and at Halloween.

“They’ve taught me a lot about witchcraft, about healing and about hexing, how to remove evil, how to dispense evil,” Heindel said.

He said witches were historically blamed for many diseases but there were good witches such as the Hexenmeister, a master of hexes, also known as powwow or folk doctors who could cast out other hexes and curses placed on sick individuals, or transfer illness to an inanimate place.

He described several Hexenmeister lessons to “help mankind in many ways” including treating digestive diseases in children, terminating witches and retrieving stolen goods.

Regarding pandemics, Heindel said one of the most common Hexenmeister remedies for a contagion was The Dutchman’s Cure, featured in many Pa. German healing books.

Heindel noted the remedy was the evening’s featured drink.

The beverage is simple to make, only requiring an onion and a good bottle of bourbon, such as Social Still’s TomBoy bourbon or whiskey.

Before leading a demonstration of the Dutchman’s Cure, Heindel introduced a number of other published cures.

“[But] you will see by comparison the Pa. German cure is the most reliable,” he explained.

One of the historical cures Heindel described was “Dr. Burgel’s Antidote,” which first appeared in British publication in 1739.

He said the remedy was “typical of the nonsimple cures.

“It’s got everything in it - pulverized cinnamon bark and Virginia snakeroot, ginger, black pepper, nutmeg, all this boiled in three pints of Muscadine wine,” Heindel said.

Another was the 15th century French cure called, “Four Thieves Therapy.”

This is a blend of cloves, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary carried in turpentine or oil.

Heindel said the cure was named after four thieves, who seemed immune to infection, after they were caught stealing from plague victims.

The thieves offered the “cure” in return for their freedom.

Heindel also spoke about Mithridate, known as Theriac, which dates back to first century Greek culture, and was also used in Dr. Burgel’s Antidote.

“Talk about components, 64 components,” he said, adding Mithridate includes pulverized and aged poisonous snake flesh, mummy parts, pig bile, feces, opium, red wine, scorpions and honey.

“I hope you, as a resident of the Pa. German county of Northampton, would realize the preferred cure is the Dutchman’s cure,” Heindel said after describing the alternative cures.

Additionally, Heindel said preparation of the Pa. Dutch cure was highlighted in a German book, commonly used by local Hexenmeisters, called “A Short Report on the Pestilence.”

The book was first printed in 1630, in Germany, and then reprinted in 1793, in the Philadelphia suburb of Chestnut Hill.

To fight “the overbearing plague,” the book instructs readers to “read moral essays, use your home remedies, and rely on your government.”

The 1793 update includes several “improvements” including cauterizing buboes, reading the Book of Job repeatedly, frequent bleeding and taking calomel.

Heindel said it also includes several recommendations including self-quarantining and social distancing, mask wearing, burning fresh juniper and consuming whiskey or gin which he said have merit even in the present climate.

He noted the “merits of quarantining” were described by 17th century Englishman Samuel Pepys during the Great Plague of 1665 in London.

“Getting too close to someone with the plague, or a pandemic of any kind, can bring it to you,” Heindel said.

Regarding masks, he said plague doctors invented a beak-shaped mask during the bubonic plague filled with “stuff that smelled good - rosemary, spices, coriander, cinnamon - in the hope that as you breathed in, you breathed that stuff and the vapors of the plague wouldn’t bother you.”

For burning fresh juniper, Heindel said green juniper boughs would burn for hours, and the smoke would keep away “the evil spirits, the mosquitoes, the rats with the fleas, and whatever is carrying the plague of that era would not enter the house.”

Finally, it was time to partake in The Dutchman’s Cure.

“Slice yourself some nice slices of onion,” Heindel explained. “Put them on a grill You need to soften them up.

“If they’re too hard and crunchy they’ll all fall apart.”

Grill the onion a few minutes.

“[Then] take your jigger of Social Still and start the ritual - a bite of the onion, a jigger of whiskey. Continue this until all pandemic problems are solved for you as an individual. Nothing will bother you the rest of the night.”

Heindel said the cure was the proven remedy of the Pa. Dutch, and jokingly guaranteed its effectiveness.

“I have not had COVID-19, bubonic plague, polio or any of these pandemics that have passed us in the past,” he said.

On a more serious note, Heindel said plagues or pandemics need to be treated with deserved caution and awareness.

“There is an expression in Pa. Dutch, ‘D’r Pochen lost sich net schpodde.’ This means don’t trifle with a plague. Take it seriously,” he said. “That’s a problem that was had in the old days. You saw the people cavorting in the London pub, not worrying about disease or transmission.

“You see it on the television today. We don’t seem to take our plagues seriously. Take the plague seriously.”

“History Happy Hour” is a virtual series highlighting different themes and discussion with regional museums, and featuring drinks sponsored by local Lehigh Valley breweries, wineries or distilleries.

The series was created by Lehigh Valley Passport to History, a partnership of 28 historical sights and resources throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties.

“History Happy Hour” episodes are available to view on the Lehigh Valley Passport to History Facebook account and YouTube page.