Abracadabra is known in the modern world as an incantation used as a magic word in stage magic tricks. However its history can be traced back to that of its apparent power in the healing disease and infection. By the time of the Great Plaque of London (1665–66) it was still in use as a healing amulet, Daniel Defoe in his account of the plaque writes dismissively about Londoners who posted the word on their doorways to ward off sickness.

The Illustration is an orginal version of the amulet, displayed on a house shape plaque for display in much the same way as Defoe depicts.