5 Forgotten 19th Century Medicinal Herbs

Just about every housewife, grew and used herbs.

For thousands of years people all over the world have been using herbs to add flavor to a meal, for dye, as medicines, to eat, etc.  They were being used by the American Indians well before the settlers came to the new world and when the Europeans arrived they brought herbs from their home countries with them.   

In a time when a Doctor may not have been readily available herbs had the potential to save lives. Their properties could help bring a fever down, stop or slow bleeding, or be used to sooth a sore throat. These highly valued plants were also kept by city dwellers in well settled areas. They may have been grown on windowsills in pots, along fence lines, or in a small garden plot if space allowed.

Overtime, these once familiar herbs were replaced by pharmaceuticals and other mass manufactured  products. The new products had a lot to offer the consumer; They were neatly packaged, backed by "doctors", uniform in dose, cost effective (depending on the product), smartly advertised, and convenient .  These factors appealed to the public who by the mid 19th century had began to look towards the future for more modern products. 

Slowly, medicinal herbs were not need as they once were. Many of the original plants went unused and unnoticed by the decedents of the early settlers who first cultivated them. Herbs were either were pulled from their beds, mowed over, or left to go to seed. Today many of the same herbs that were once cultivated in gardens all over the United States have all but been forgotten.

Although there are hundreds of herbs that I could have picked to discuss, I decided to pick the five herbs that seem to be most foreign to visitors at historic sites. The five herbs to follow were all grown at the 1847 living history site that I worked for in Northwest Ohio and did very well in that climate but are known to grow elsewhere.

Please remember that the purpose of this article is for historic education purposes only. The herbs should not be used without consulting with your doctor.

Clary Sage is valued for its essential oil. The oil is said to draw out splinters, thorns, and remove dust from the eye. It can also be used as a flavor for alcohol, relieving anxiety, aiding with insomnia, and  as a dye.

Celandine is a perennial herb that can become invasive if not kept under control.  It has small yellow flowers and when a steam is broken an orange “sap” oozes out. This orange “sap” can be applied to warts and corns to help make them go away. The leaves can be used as a stimulant and help promote sweating and increase the need to urinate.

Elecampane

Elecampane was brought to the United States by European settlers sometime before the early 1800’s.  The root of the plant was most often made into a tonic and used to treat whooping cough and consumption. Today it is used by some companies in the manufacturing of absinthe and is often found growing at the side of the road or in farrow fields.

Today Feverfew is normally grown as an ornamental flower rather than for its medical uses. The plant is used to treat headaches and reduce fevers when brewed into a tea. The flowers and stems are also said to help keep bees away if they are carried.

Yarrow has many different stories associated with it. Achilles is said to have carried the plant into battle to help treat wounds and stop bleeding.  Another story associated with the plant is that if the leaves are held against the eyes it will give you the ability to see into the future.  
The herb is also associated with several different methods that will supposedly to tell the future. One such method is to place yarrow beneath your pillow during a full moon and say

Goodnight fair yarrow

Thrice good night to thee

I hope before tomorrow’s dawn

My True love I shall see

Medically yarrow leaves are used to encourage the blood to clot. They are often referred to being used to help stop a nose bleed. When drank in a tea can help with blood circulation.  

Sources Used

Essential Herbal Wisdom: A Complete Exploration of 50 Remarkable Herbs by Nancy Arrowsmith

Photographs were used for educational purposes only and were under public domain or of my own collection

The garden pictured can be found at The McKinnis House in Findlay, Ohio
http://www.hancockparks.com/YourParks/LitzenbergMemorialWoods.aspx 

For additional sources please contact me