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Colonial Herbal Remedies and Medicine

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             "Comfrey was brought to North America by the settlers. It was believed to have the power to mend broken bones more rapidly and pastes made from the herb helped surface wounds heal faster. Garlic was used to treat many colonial ailments and it was also believed its' powers offered protection from evil spirits. It was brought to America from Europe but there was a local variety introduced by the Indians which was thought to cure everything from snakebites to intestinal worms. Valerian is an ancient herb, very highly treasured around the world. It was introduced to the Colonials by Canadian Indians and used as a wound antiseptic. Its root acts as a depressant and was used as a sedative. Chamomile was brewed into tea and used for stomach ailments and to ward off colds and aches." ("Herbs in Colonial Times." The Herbitage).
             Many other herbs were used for headaches, painful joints, indigestion and cramps. These herbs that were considered very valuable for their medicinal uses, we consider as weeds today. On the contrary, some remedies were not only herbal mixtures, there were also many different forms of home remedies such as "leeching." "Colonial doctors believed that when people were ill, it was because their body did not contain a balance in bodily fluids, such as water or blood. To cure an illness, they thought the "bad" fluids should be removed to restore balance. Colonial physicians had many different ways of eliminating the fluid, such as draining or "letting" blood from the human body. Leeches were commonly used for treatment. At times, these wormlike creatures were placed onto a sick person's body to suck out the "bad" blood." (Arundel, "Colonial Remedies.") Obviously, the colonials were very resourceful, utilizing what they had at the time being. Herbal treatments and home remedies were extremely important in terms of colonial medicine.


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