ABSTRACT
Early on, sassafras was also called ague wood, cinnamon wood, and smelling tree. Erichsen-Brown (1989) says that, as early as 1575-1577, “The Spaniards did begin to cure themselves with the water of this tree and it did in them greate effectes, that it is almost incredible, for with the naughtie meates and drinkying of the rawe waters, and slepying in the dewes, the most parts of them came to fall into continual agues.” I know of no better source of early American information on the eastern medicinal plants than Erichsen-Brown, in her excellent
Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants
(1989). According to David Winston, part Cherokee himself, Cherokee traditionally used sassafras as a carminative and eyewash, for gout, rheumatism, and skin problems (Winston, 2001). Tea, made from the oil or root bark was applied to cancer, corns, osteosarcomas, tumors, and wens. Sassafras tea was used in Appalachia as a diaphoretic and diuretic for bronchitis, gastritis, and indigestion, and to slow down the milk of nursing mothers. South Carolina blacks gave it to children to “bring out the measles.” Pith of sassafras was once official in the U.S. as a mucilaginous demulcent, used for eye inflammation. The herb is alterative, analgesic, antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, depurative,
diaphoretic, demulcent, diuretic, emmenagogue, and stimulant. Externally, sassafras has been used as a rubefacient on bruises, rheumatism, sprains, and swellings. Sassafras oil is applied externally as a pediculicide. Once used in dentistry to disinfect root canals, sassafras oil is also used to relieve stings and bites. Tucker et al. (1994) dredge up some interesting indications that sent me scurrying to Webster’s. “It healeth opilations. It comforteth the liver and stomach and doth disopilate” (not there in Webster’s, defined as Chagas Disease in my
Dorland’s Medical Dictionary
; but the English Spelling with a double p, oppilation mere constipation). Sassafras extracts show very good activity against
Ancylostoma
and
Strongyloides
.
