Colonial Medicinal Herbs

For centuries people have used herbs medicinally. In fact, the first English-language book listing the medicinal properties of herbs was published in 1525. Because herbs not only grow abundantly in the wild but are also easily cultivated, colonists often raised them in gardens near their homes where they were readily available as a treatment for health problems and illnesses. Colonists used the herbs in fresh, dried or powdered form. Herbs were either taken orally, often as a tea or tincture, or topically applied.

How Herbs Were Prescribed

• Colonial herbalists based their system of medicine on the Greek idea of four temperaments: sanguine, hot, moist and extroverted; melancholic, cold, dry and sullen; choleric, hot, dry and passionate; and phlegmatic, cold, moist and lethargic. These temperaments were believed to be governed by a specific bodily fluid, or “humor”—blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm, respectively. Early herbalists believed that herbs possessed specific qualities reflecting the qualities of the different temperaments, and prescribed herbs to correct imbalances in a person’s humor. For example, a person with a cold might be diagnosed with an excess of phlegmatic humor, thereby dictating a prescription of an herb with hot and dry choleric properties.

Mints

• Plants in the mint family include spearmint and peppermint, catnip and catmint and balms such as bee and lemon. Noting the cooling, phlegmatic properties of mints, colonists used them to treat stomach problems and indigestion, as well as headaches. Colonists believed that mint increased blood flow and relaxed cramping.

Sage

• Colonists used sage to treat colds and sore throats, to strengthen the liver and fortify the blood. Because of its antibacterial qualities, they also applied sage topically to cleanse and disinfect wounds, either by washing the wound with a tea preparation or rubbing it with sage leaves.

Dandelion

• Colonists took advantage of the high vitamin content of dandelion roots and leaves by making them into a tonic to fight anemia. The white sap from the stems helped in wart removal. Dandelion's cooling properties also made it a useful treatment for hot, dry, choleric problems such as liver disorders.

Feverfew

• Colonists not only found feverfew, with its cooling properties, to be an effective fever reducer, but they also believed it helped fight the discomforts that accompany fevers, such as chills and headaches. They also found it helpful in improving mood and treating nervous problems.

Heliotrope

• Colonists used the root of the heliotrope plant, also known as valerian, to treat nervous disorders, sleep difficulties and epilepsy. Because of the plant's warming properties, it was also believed to be useful in treating urinary problems.

Lamb's Ear

• Colonists applied lamb’s ear topically to a wound, where the plant would stop the bleeding and then remain affixed to the wound to protect it and aid in healing. They also boiled the roots of the lamb’s ear plant into a tea to help with nausea and vomiting.