MEDICINE


Many plants were grown in colonial gardens for their medicinal uses. Some of these plants have been shown to indeed have medicinal value even today. Others have proven to have no medical value, and in some cases are even toxic. Camomile, yarrow, feverfew, and lamb's ear are a few of the plants grown in early American herb gardens for medicinal uses. 
{8-need to get slide}   Camomile             
Camomile, Anthemis nobilis, was              Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is
brought to North America from England.       called "military herb" because
This plant was not only used to treat        Achilles supposedly used it to stop
human maladies, but was believed to          bleeding from his soldiers' wounds. 
help revive sickly garden plants.	     It was also used to treat colds,
plants.  Camomile tea, which                 fevers, and kidney dysfunctions.
is made from the dried heads of              As with many plants of the herb
the flowers is supposed to relieve           gardens of early Americans, this 
headaches, colic, nightmares,                was a very versatile plant.  It
and nervousness.  (Peter Rabbit's mother     also was used in dyeing fabric, in
gave him this tea after his encounter        salads, and in the making of
with Farmer McGregor.)                       snuff.
                        
Feverfew, Chrysanthemum parthenium,          Lamb's-ear, Stachys olympica,
is a small daisy-like perennial also         brought to America from the
called "bride's button."  It was             Caucasus, could be dried to
used to treat fevers, and was                make a tasty tea.  The leaves,
believed to help prevent disease by          thick and soft, were used as
purifying the atmosphere.  It was            dressings for wounds.
also used to treat cases of nerves,
depression and hysteria.  A solution
with alcohol was used as an insect 
repellent and to treat bites.  Today
this plant has been shown to have value
in treating migraine headaches.
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