COLONIAL USE OF HERBS
To understand the colonial use of herbs, we contemporaries must understand the basis on which decisions were made.
Colonists based portions of their world view on teachings of early Greek writers. Theories about alchemy and astrology and concepts such as the four cardinal humors influenced many of the colonists’ agricultural, dietary and medical practices. The four cardinal humors were the body fluids: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. The conditions and proportions of these affected the physical and mental health of the individual.
There were thought to be four basic human temperaments:
- Yellow bile or choler – hot and dry, characterized by a fiery nature and a bilious complexion.
- Phlegmatic (phlegm) – cold and moist, characterized by apathy and a pale complexion.
- Melancholic (black bile or choler) – cold and dry, characterized by depression and sullenness.
- Sanguine (blood) – hot and moist, characterized by great appetites and capacities, and a ruddy complexion.
The educated colonist would study an herbal, a book containing the names and descriptions of herbs, or plants in general, with their properties and virtues. The earliest herbal written in the English language was published in London in 1525.
Additionally, much knowledge was passed along from parent to child, since many colonists were illiterate.Most herbals listed the qualities of temperature of each plant – hot, cold, dry and moist – paralleling the four elements – fire, air, earth and water. These characteristics were said to be reflected in the human temperament.
In almost all individuals one humor was thought to dominate the personality. There were certain potential health disorders or imbalances associated with each humor. For example, the sanguine person was believed to be amusing and good-natured, but prone to overindulgence. Diarrhea or gout could be a problem for such an individual, so cool, dry herbs like burdock or figwort were used to cleanse the system.
Overly cooling foods were given when a patient had a fever, but those same foods were considered unsafe if consumed by a well person. Foods had to be combined to produce the proper combinations for a healthy person.
Melons were chilling, so they were served with ginger or pepper, warming spices. Lettuce was cold and moist, so hot and dry pepper, hot and moist olive oil and cold and dry vinegar dressed it. Vinegar, itself, was considered cooling, so it had to be enhanced with peppercorns, coriander seeds or other warmers. Otherwise, vinegar would "make leane" and cause melancholy.
Another old idea of the period was the "Doctrine of Signatures" or "Law of Similars". This was the notion that a plant looked like the human organ or symptom of the disease it could benefit. Plants containing a milky juice, like lettuce, were thought to "propogate milk in nursing mothers". The walnut, which looks somewhat like a brain, when properly prepared and laid upon the crown of the head, was said to comfort "the brain and head mightily".
The use of herbs and plants in the colonial household was carefully decided based on the knowledge and observations of the time.
Herbs or Spices?
Herbs are plants, parts of which contain essential oils useful in food, medicine and/or cosmetics. Herbs usually grow in temperate regions, both in the wild and as cultivators. They do not develop persistent woody tissue. Because herbs would have been plentiful and inexpensive, we will concentrate on their application in the early 18th century household. Spices are generally derived from woody plants that grow in tropical areas. They had to be imported, making them quite expensive. Therefore, the use of spices in the early colonial home would have been limited.
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Medicinal Use of Herbs and Spices