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| Disclaimer: Absolutely no recommendation is made herein or implied that any herbal remedy be consumed or otherwise used. Many plants routinely consumed during the l9th century are today considered poisonous. Information is given purely for its historical content, not as an alternative to modern medicine. |
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| Medical care in the 19th century was primitive and often had no scientific basis whatsoever. Doctors, especially in rural areas, were consulted only for dire emergencies, and then their remedies were more often than not crude herbal concoctions which had varying degrees of efficacy. Medical care more often was provided by herbalists and midwives. Most households maintained an herb garden of sorts and women cared for their families with the herbs they grew. They were used in the form of teas, infusions, poultices, etc. Many of these herbs had been introduced to early colonists by the Indians who had used them for centuries. I have Cherokee heritage, and my grandmother continued to use some of the herbal remedies on me as a child which had been passed down for generations. (I do not use the term Native American - my ancestors were "Indians" during their lifetime and I see no reason to change the term now). |
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| A typical 19th century herb garden might have contained comfrey, bloodroot, foxglove (from which Digitalis is derived today), catnip, lobelia, peppermint, spearmint, goldenseal, etc., as well as culinary herbs. |
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| Herbs used for dyeing will be given at the end of this list of medicinal herbs. |
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| Ointments and salves were made by heating the herbs in lard, sometimes with beeswax added to thicken the mixture. |
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| Agrimony: an astringent, used to remove blood from the urine. Roots and leaves were used for hemorrhage, diarrhea, gonorrhea, to remove obstructions from the spleen or liver, and for spider and snake bites. |
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| Aloe: Prescribed for 2,000 years - it has been rubbed into the scalp for hair loss, used for burns, stomach disorders, constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, headaches, kidney ailments, and mouth and gum disease. |
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| Angelica: Has been used since the l600's mixed with treacle and nutmeg, heated over the fire to cure plague. Also used for rabies, colic, pleurisy, coughs, diseases of the lungs, dimness of sight, and dropped in the ear to cure deafness. Indians used it for discharge of mucous from the respiratory tract, to induce vomiting, cure consumption and tuberculosis. They believed an angelica tea worked as a tonic to build strength. By the mid-l800's a crude candy was made in the South by boiling the roots in sugar. It was by then used for colic, flatulence, fevers, diseases of the liver, and as a preventative for infection. |
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| Anise: Hippocrates prescribed this for coughs, and the Roman scholar, Pliny, used it as a breath freshener. The seeds have been made into a tea to aid in digestion. |
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| Arnica: Used to promote healing of wounds. A salve was made by heating an ounce of flowers and an ounce of lard which was said to relieve muscle aches. Indians used arnica as a healing ointment. While this is today recommended for external use only, during the War Between the States (WBTS) it was given to Southern soldiers as a stimulant to direct energy to the brain and nervous system. |
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| Barberry bark: Tonic, laxative. Used during the middle ages for plague, and by the Indians as a tonic to restore the body from debility. It was used during the WBTS for jaundice, dysentery, diarrhea and fever. |
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| Bayberry: Used in the 1860's and a study done then is still reflected in some medical reports. Infusions of bark were used as an astringent lotion. |
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| Belladonna: Narcotic with a calming effect. |
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| Birch bark: Indians made tea to to relieve headache, rheumatism, and poultices were used for burns, wounds and bruises. Folk remedies using it are numerous. |
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| Bittersweet: Used for skin irritations. |
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| Black walnut bark: Astringent. |
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| Blood root: Tea was drunk by Indians for sore throat, fever, and rheumatism. It was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1926. |
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| Blue flag: Used during the WBTS as a diuretic in dropsy. |
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| Boneset: Used for cough, and fever reducer. The name came from its use in treating flu that caused severe body aches which was referred to in the 19th century as "break bone fever". Soldiers during the WBTS received an infusion as a remedy for fevers and as a health tonic. It was listed in the U.S. Dispensatory from 1820 to 1950. A 19th century ointment was made using boneset, spruce pitch, and bear's oil. During the WBTS boneset was used for constipation, rheumatism, pneumonia, catarrhs, dropsy, influenza, yellow fever, and malaria. In the latter, it was used in the South as a substitute for quinine. |
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| Bugle weed: Tonic, astringent, sedative. Used for hemorrhage, reducing pulse, and for coughs and bronchial irritations. Widely used during the WBTS. |
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| Burdock root: Centuries old. Shakespeare used this, and it was on Britain's list of plant shortages issued by the Board of Agriculture in 1914. It was used as a blood purifier, and made into salves and ointments for burns. During the WBTS it was used to treat scrofula and ringworm. |
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| Calendula flower: dates to Roman times. Used during the WBTS to stop bleeding and promote healing of wounds. |
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| Caraway: Dates to l500 BC to relieve colic, flatulence, and indigestion. |
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| Cascara bark: dates to the l7th century. Used by Indians for constipation and upset stomach. |
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| Castor oil (bean): Used for thousands of years. Castor beans have been found in 4,000 year old Egyptian tombs. In the 18th century it gained a reputation as a laxative which continued into the 20th century. |
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| Catnip: Came to America with the pioneers. Used for its calming effect. |
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| Cayenne: Introduced to Europe when Christopher Columbus returned from the New World. Grown by American Indians for hundreds of years prior to that. Used for stomach complaints and other ailments. |
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| Chamomile flower: Genuine chamomile came from Germany but there was an American version used for its gentle healing properties, and calming effect. Before refrigeration meat was immersed in a chamomile solution in the belief it would keep longer. |
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| Chickweed: Used during the WBTS to treat eruptions on the hands and limbs. |
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| Chicory root: Cultivated in Europe 5000 years ago, and grown in Charlemagne's garden. It was imported by the colonists and Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello in l774. Washington called it, "one of the greatest acquisitions a farmer can have". A scandal erupted in the 19th century when chicory was sold as coffee. |
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| Coltsfoot: Used as a tea for cough. |
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| Comfrey: Poultices made from the root were used to stop bleeding, and treat bronchial problems. During the WBTS it was used in the South as a demulcent. It was applied as a poultice for bruises. |
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| Cranesbill: For sore throats, ulcerations of the mouth, dysentery, and cholera infantum. |
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| Dandelion: The root was thought to be a deobstruent, used as a cathartic, and diuretic. Scirrhosities of the liver, gallbladder stones, ascites, jaundice, impetigo and itch. Used extensively during the WBTS as a tonic. |
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| Dill: For flatulence colic, and the seed was boiled in broth to treat obesity. |
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| Dogwood bark: Substitute for Peruvian bark and quinine. |
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| Eyebright: Used as a tea and memory tonic. |
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| Funugreek: folk remedy for diabetes and anemia. Poultices were used to soothe boils, wounds, and ulcers. It was the primary ingredient in Lydia Pinkham's health tonic in the 19th century. Steep 1 oz. of seeds in 1 pint of boiling water for a tea to soothe sore throat. |
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| Feverfew: The 17th century herbalist, John Parkinson, claimed this aided in recovering from opium addiction. Used for colic, melancholia, dizziness, constipation, etc. Used during the WBTS for colds. |
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| Fig: Used as a laxative. |
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| Flax seed: Applied warm for boils, used for colds and cough. |
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| Garlic: Used since Biblical days for blood pressure and respiratory problems. Colonists brought different varieties, but Indians were using American varieties for hundreds of years prior. |
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| Ginseng: Listed by Thomas Jefferson as growing in his garden. Daniel Boone was known to sell it, and it was used by the Shakers. Was exported from the U.S. in the early 19th century. |
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| Hops: Brought to America in 1629 by the Massachusetts Co. Grown as far south as Virginia by the mid-1600's. Used for fever, as an expectorant, sedative, for rheumatism and insomnia, hysteria, itches, diarrhea, and more. Hops pillows supposedly had a calming effect. Used by Southern soldiers during the WBTS as a pain reliever. Used as a substitute for laudanum. |
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| Horehound: Used in cough syrups, often used by the Shakers. During the WBTS southern soldiers used it as a laxative, for colds, asthma, rheumatism, and catarrh. |
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| Juniper: Indians used it for its cleansing and healing properties, for fighting infection, and for arthritis and wounds. |
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| Lavender: Thought to quiet coughs and ease stomach disorders. |
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| Lemon balm: Grown at Monticello by Jefferson. Used heavily by early settlers for sweating out fevers and this practice continued into the 19th century. |
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| Licorice: Indian cure for an earache. |
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| Lobelia: Used externally as an ointment for wounds. Used by Indians for asthma and dysentery. Shakers sold it overseas. The 19th century herbalist, Samuel Thomson, claimed it was a muscle relaxant and healed abscesses when applied as a poultice. Used by Southern soldiers during the WBTS it was used for convulsions, diaphoresis, colic, croup, snake bite, spider and insect bites, asthma. Used as an ointment. |
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| Jimson weed: Used in the South during the WBTS as a pain reliever. This was probably because of its hallucinogen effect. |
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| Lovage: Used in the 19th century for rheumatism, jaundice, malaria, and sore throat. |
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| Magnolia bark: substitute for Peruvian bark. |
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| Marjoram: folk remedy for rheumatism, toothache, asthma, and more. |
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| Mayapple: Indians used it as a laxative and to induce vomiting, and to remove warts. |
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| Mint: Documented to Roman times. By the 18th century it was used for colic, and digestive complaints. Spearmint, peppermint, and salt was thought to be a cure for rabies. It was brought to America by the colonists to treat headache, heartburn, and insomnia. |
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| Mustard: Mentioned in the Bible. Used for digestion, and as a poultice to treat pneumonia and respiratory disorders. Indians used it as an ointment for rheumatism. John Ingram, a mustard maker in the Massachusetts Bay Colony advertised mustard as a cure for nervous disorders, and blood purifier. |
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| Nutmeg: Stimulant. |
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| Onion: Used as a poultice for pneumonia and respiratory disorders. Cook onions in lard till hot and clear and put in a muslin bag. Wear around the neck until congestion is gone. Onion was also used in the ear to relieve pain. Onions were applied to the feet to reduce high fever. |
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| Parsley: Used for rashes. |
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| Peach leaves: Used for nausea. |
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| Peruvian bark: Used for malaria, used as a tonic. |
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| Plantain: Poultices for wounds. |
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| Poke: Used in poultices by the Indians for tumors and skin eruptions, and for rheumatism. |
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| Puffball: Thought to stop bleeding. |
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| Rose: Brought from England by William Penn in 1699. Popular with Washington and Jefferson. Used to make rose water, and rose beads during the 19th century. |
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| Rosemary: Used in the 1500's and 1600's to scent homes. Source of many superstitions. Tossed into graves by mourners as a sign the deceased would not be forgotten. |
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| Rue: Used for gas pain and colic. |
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| Sage: To remove warts, and for insomnia, worms, and epilepsy. |
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| Sassafras: Used as an eyewash. Used as a substitute for flax seed and gum arabic. |
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| Savory: Brought to America by the colonists who thought it relieved indigestion. Used to treat diarrhea and stimulate the appetite. Note: Diarrhea was a serious life threatening ailment in the 19th century which explains why so many of these herbs are listed to cure it. |
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| Slippery elm: For coughs, colds, skin irritation and as an eye wash. |
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| Snakeroot: This has such a distinctive odor once you've had a dose of it you never forget the smell. This is one of the Cherokee remedies my Nannie gave me as a child, and the cure was worse than the complaint. It was named snakeroot because the Indians used it for snake bite. The roots were gathered, dried, and stored. The root was either chewed or made into a tea. It was thought to relieve all manner of stomach complaints, and it was used heavily by Southern soldiers and civilians during the WBTS. |
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| Sumac: For sore throat. |
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| Tulip poplar: For gout and rheumatism. |
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| Willow: 19th century fever reducer - the forerunner of aspirin. Part used: the bark. |
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| Witch hazel: 19th century treatment for burns. Used by the Indians as a health tonic and to treat colds and coughs. |
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| Yarrow: Goes back centuries. Shakers used it for hemorrhoids and flatulence. It was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1836 to 1882. |
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| HERBS FOR DYES: |
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| Note during the WBTS Southern families depended on herbs and plants to dye clothing and homespun. Mordants were usually iron, alum, cream of tartar, etc. which each produced a slightly different shade. Emma Eckenrode-Lewis, fiber artist, taught a class in natural dyeing which the Widow Rumble took in July 1998. The colors produced using natural dyes and mordants are beautiful and are a very good indication of the color scheme 19th century women had to work with. |
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| Blacks: Came from alder, black walnut, logwood, persimmon, red oak bark, sumac berries, white ash, and yarrow. Bugle weed was used to dye silk, linen, and wool black. Walnut leaves without copperas repeatedly boiled gives a black finish. The mangrove found in South Florida dyed black. Sweetgum with copperas dyed near black. The tallow tree which grew near Charleston gave a black dye. One period recipe for black dye stated it could best be achieved with a combination of ingredients, and called for the wool to be passed through a deep indigo, then logwood, sumac, then copperas and verdigris. Oak galls in a solution of vitriol with repeated baths yielded a black dye. Indian hemp (dog's bane) which grew near Charleston gave a black dye. Widow Rumble's note: More research has been put into period black dyestuffs than any other color because black was used in mourning which was a large part of 19th century life. Women in the South during war times had a very difficult time finding black fabric and often tried to dye dresses they already had black for use in mourning, therefore much research was done to find plants which would yield a black dye. |
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| Blues: elder, elecampane, indigo, larkspur, logwood, woad. |
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| Browns: alder bark, birch, black walnut bark or root, burdock, butternut, cascara sagrada, comfrey, fennel, geranium, hops, juniper, madder, onion, pokeweed, poplar, plum root, red oak bark, sorghum seed, sumac, sweetgum bark, tea leaves, white oak. Ojibwa Indians used hemlock for a reddish brown. |
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| Golds: agrimony, dock, goldenrod, mullein, onion, plantain, marigold, poplar, safflower, salsify, yarrow |
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| Grays: elder, myrtle, pine, poplar, raspberry, sunflower, sweetgum bark, yarrow |
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| Greens: agrimony, angelica, barberry, bayberry, betony, coltsfoot, comfrey, dock, fennel, foxglove, goldenrod, hickory, horsetail, mamosa, marjoram, mullein, Queen Ann's lace, red oak bark, rosemary, sage, salsify, sunflower, tansy, yarrow |
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| Oranges: bloodroot, chicory, golden marguerite, madder, sassafras, sunflower, weld |
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| Pinks: bloodroot, pokeweed, pumpkin, sorrel, woad |
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| Purples: blackberry, geranium, grape, lady's bedstraw, bark of swamp maple, sweetgum bark |
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| Reds: dandelion, dock, hops, lady's bedstraw, madder, pokeweed, potentilla, St. John's wort, sweet woodruff. Dark red was obtained by using equal parts of blood root and wild plum bark. Pine tree root gave a garnet color. |
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| Rusts: pokeweed, safflower |
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| Tans: Black walnut, barberry, onion, raspberry, sunflower, sweet woodruff |
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| Yellows: agrimony, barberry, broom, chamomile, cocklebur leaves and stalks, crabapple bark, dandelion, dock, fennel, fenugreek, golden marguerite, goldenrod, goldenseal, horseradish, lady's bedstraw, marigold, onion, safflower, saffron, sage, St. John's wort, salsify, sunflower, tansy, yarrow, yellow root |
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