THROUGH
MOUNTAIN MISTS
Early Settlers of
Their
Descendants...Their Stories...Their Achievements
Lifting the
Mists of History on Their Way of Life
By: Ethelene Dyer Jones
Sarah
Evaline Souther Dyer and Herbal Tonics
One of Grandmother Dyer's
recommended
spring tonics was sassafras tea. The sassafras bush grew readily on
mountain
farms in small clumps at wood's edge or along stream banks. Roots and
bark of
the sassafras bush were gathered and dried for later use. An old saying
about the
value of sassafras tea to the system was that "if you drink sassafras
tea
in the month of March, you won't need a doctor all year."
It was believed to purify the
blood and was
helpful in the treatment of colds, fevers, and the ague.
A song helped to advertise the
values of
sassafras as a medicinal plant: "In the spring of the year when the
blood
is so thick/There is nothing so fine as a sassafras stick./It tones up
the
liver and strengthens the heart,/And to the whole system a new life
doth impart."
(from The Foxfire Book 2, 1973, p.50). Boil the roots or bark in water.
Sweeten
with honey or sugar and drink as spring tonic.
That first mess of greens in the
spring was
also considered a boost to the system. Spring greens must be gathered
while
young and tender or they will have a bitter taste. Among those eaten by
mountain families in early spring were dandelion greens, poke
"sallet" or pokeweed, dock and wild mustard. Gather plenty of the
selected green, as volume shrinks with cooking. Parboil, or cook first
in
plenty of water; drain and wash, and then cook again, seasoning to
taste.
Recipes for these various wild greens have been passed down in
families. Poke
sallet, for example, after parboiling, can be put into an iron skillet
with
shortening and fried. When almost done, break in two or three eggs and
scramble
with the greens. Serve with vinegar or pickle juice.
Violet leaves and flowers are
both edible
and grow in abundance in the woods or on lawns in early spring. The
leaves are
rich in vitamins C and A. Violet leaves may be cooked separately or
mixed with
mustard greens for a spring "sallet" treat. The petals of the violet
flower may be used to make a delicate jelly by using pectin to thicken
the
jelly.
Gathering wild ramps or leeks
has become a
modern-day pastime for hikers. "Ramp tramps" are often planned for
certain areas where the plant is known to grow in the woods and can be
found
most readily under maple trees. Some mountain towns have ramp festivals
in the
spring. Ramps, a very odiferous plant, akin to wild onion and wild
garlic, have
a "bad breath" quality that remains with those who eat it for three
or four days. The advice for would-be ramp gatherers is to go into
solitary
confinement for a few days after your mess of ramps.
Last week's column looked at
ginseng and
its uses. Another native medicinal plant is goldenseal. Like ginseng,
it was
over-harvested and became scarce in its natural habitat of moist
woodlands. It
is now being cultivated, but does not grow well unless the goldenseal
farmer
can provide an environment very similar to its moist, woodland habitat.
Goldenseal roots and rhizomes,
the
underground stems, are harvested in the fall and dried for medicinal
purposes.
Goldenseal has antibiotic properties and is prized for healing
infections and
inflammations. For a healing tea, use one teaspoon of dried pounded
root in one
cup of boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain and use as a gargle
for sore
throat. It is useful for stomach upsets by mixing a teaspoon of
goldenseal
powder with 1 teaspoon of honey. Take the syrup twice a day for 3 to 4
days
until stomach upset and diarrhea clear. Goldenseal is in the
"bitters" classification of herbs and will leave a bitter taste in
the mouth. Drink plenty of water when ingesting goldenseal syrup or
tea.
Sweet flag (acorus calamus)
roots are
gathered dried and used to make tea, powder, liniment and balm for the
bath. It
is useful in treating indigestion, flatulence, joint pain caused by
arthritis
or injury, and for a calming bath.
For the last several years,
people have
become interested again in herbal medications. Health food stores sell
many of
the emollients that were once made by my Grandmother Sarah Evaline
Souther
Dyer, “Granny Woman,” and used as she sought to meet the medical needs
of her
family and her neighbors.
Alternative medicine and natural
healing
are on the rise. A word of caution is in order. Many of the health
store
products are not approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration.
Extensive and controlled testing has not been conducted to verify
claims. And
we in this modern age have not been taught, as were our ancestors, to
recognize
healthy edible plants and herbs.
Therefore, walk with caution the forest trails as you seek to
gather
your own herbs, and beware of those that can be lethal if used in the
wrong
manner.
[Ethelene Dyer
Jones is a retired educator,
freelance writer, poet, and historian. She may be reached at
e-mail edj0513@windstream.net;
phone 478-453-8751; or mail 1708 Cedarwood Road, Milledgeville, GA
31061-2411.]
Updated October 19, 2008
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