Weeds used in medicine — Themes and Context

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In Category - Medicine

Authors: Henkel, Alice, 1869-1916, Galloway, B. T. (Beverly Thomas), 1863-1938 [Author of introduction, etc.] Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2025 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Medicinal plants -- United States; Weeds -- Therapeutic use -- United States Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 14,860

Reading time 65 min

Text sections 36

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #76922

Alice Henkel's 1904 USDA bulletin examines common American weeds as sources of crude drugs, detailing their botanical features, collection methods, and medicinal uses. The work bridges agriculture and pharmacy, offering farmers practical guidance on harvesting roots, leaves, and flowers for market.

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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

FARMERS’ BULLETIN No. 188.

WEEDS USED IN MEDICINE.

_Assistant in Drug and Medicinal Plant Investigations, Botanical Investigations and Experiments, Bureau of Plant Industry_.

WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1904.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF, _Washington, D. C., December 10, 1903_.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a paper on Weeds Used in Medicine, and recommend that it be published as a Farmers’ Bulletin. This paper was prepared by Miss Alice Henkel, Assistant in Drug and Medicinal Plant Investigations, and was submitted by the Botanist with a view to publication.

Respectfully, B. T. GALLOWAY, _Chief of Bureau_. Hon. JAMES WILSON, _Secretary of Agriculture_.

Collection and curing of drugs 7

Disposal of the drugs 10

Descriptions of plants 10

Yellow-rooted water dock 18

Purple thorn-apple 39

Fig. 1. Burdock, flowering plant 11

2. Burdock, first year’s growth 12

5. Yellow dock, first year’s growth 15

6. Broad-leaved dock, first year’s growth 16

7. Leaf, fruiting spike, and root of broad-leaved dock 17

8. Yellow dock root 18

11. Pokeweed, flowering and fruiting branch 22

18. Scaly grindelia 29

22. Hoarhound, flowering top 34

23. Blessed thistle 35

25. Canada fleabane 37

27. Leaves, flower, and capsules of jimson weed 39

28. Poison hemlock 40

29. American wormseed 41

B. P. I.—89. B. I. E.—55.

WEEDS USED IN MEDICINE.

It is a matter of interest, primarily to the farmer, that certain of the well-known weeds now either generally or locally infesting the country are the sources of crude drugs at the present time obtained wholly or in part by importation from abroad. Roots, leaves, and flowers of several of the species most detrimental in the United States are gathered, prepared, and cured in Europe, and not only form useful commodities there but supply to a considerable extent the demands of foreign lands. Hence it appears probable that while weeds can hardly be made desirable, still in his fight to exterminate them the farmer may be able to turn some of them to account. Some of the plants coming within this class are in many States at present subject to antiweed laws and farmers are required to take measures toward their extermination. It seems, therefore, desirable to make these pests sources of profit where possible. In many cases, when weeds have been dug, the work of handling and curing them is not excessive and can readily be done by women and children.

The prices paid for crude drugs from these sources are not great and would rarely tempt anyone to pursue this line of work as a business. Yet, if in ridding the farm of weeds and thus raising the value of the land the farmer can at the same time make these pests the source of a small income instead of a dead loss, something is gained.

In order to help the farmer to obtain the best possible prices for such products, instructions for collecting and preparing crude drugs derived from weeds are here briefly given. The collector should observe them carefully.

COLLECTION AND CURING OF DRUGS.

Too much emphasis can not be placed upon the importance of carefully and thoroughly drying all crude drugs, whether roots, herbs, leaves, barks, flowers, or seeds. If insufficiently dried, they will heat and become moldy in shipping, and the collector will find his goods rejected by the drug dealer and have all his trouble for nothing.

Another important matter to be considered in collecting drugs for market is freedom from foreign substances. All drugs should be clean and wholesome looking and contain no admixture of fragments of other plants, stones, dirt, or other impurities. A bright natural color is extremely desirable in leaves, herbs, and flowers, and adds much to the salability of the product. This can be readily brought about by giving careful attention to proper drying in the shade (not in direct sunlight), and by protection from dew or rain by placing the drugs under cover at nightfall or whenever necessary. Roots may be cleaned by washing, but leaves, herbs, and flowers should never be washed.

It is important also to collect drugs in proper season only. Neglect in this respect will bring nothing but disappointment to the gatherer, as drugs collected out of season not only are not acceptable to the dealer on account of inferior medicinal qualities, but there will also be, in the case of roots, a greater amount of shrinkage in a root dug during the growing season than will take place when it is collected after growth has ceased.

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Alice Henkel's Weeds Used in Medicine, published in 1904 as U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers' Bulletin No. 188, opens with a practical premise: many weeds infesting American farmland are sources of crude drugs currently imported from abroad. The bulletin aims to help farmers identify, collect, and prepare these plants for sale, turning a nuisance into a crop. Henkel, an assistant in drug and medicinal plant investigations, writes with a botanist's precision and an economist's eye, noting prices per pound for each species. The work is structured as a series of plant profiles, each covering range, description, parts used, and medicinal applications. Readers familiar with field guides will recognize the systematic layout, but the bulletin's unique value lies in its dual focus—botanical accuracy and commercial viability.

A Farmer's Guide to Drug Collection

The introduction frames the bulletin as a resource for farmers, emphasizing that certain weeds are “the sources of crude drugs at the present time obtained wholly or in part by importation.” Henkel provides detailed instructions on collecting and curing different plant parts: roots should be dug in autumn or early spring, washed, and dried; barks are best taken in spring; leaves and herbs are gathered when the plant is in flower. She notes weight loss during drying—for boneset, “about three-fourths of their weight”—and describes proper storage to preserve medicinal quality. The section on disposal of drugs advises farmers to contact drug brokers or manufacturers, listing typical prices: boneset leaves bring 2 to 8 cents per pound, catnip the same. This practical bent distinguishes the bulletin from a pure botanical text, making it a manual for rural enterprise.

Botanical Descriptions with a Purpose

Each plant entry follows a consistent format: common names, range and habitat, a botanical description, parts used, and medicinal properties. Henkel’s descriptions are precise and visual. For catnip, she notes “erect, square stems” and leaves “heart shaped or oblong, with an acute apex, 1 to 2½ inches long, evenly and finely scalloped.” Hoarhound is described as having a “whitish, woolly appearance, caused by the dense covering of hairs.” These details serve identification, but Henkel also includes practical notes: catnip’s “coarser stems and branches should be rejected,” and hoarhound’s “pleasant, balsamic odor” hints at its use. The botanical information is never abstract; it always ties back to the plant’s value as a drug source.

Medicinal Uses and Market Realities

Henkel catalogs each plant’s therapeutic applications, often citing traditional uses. Boneset, also called “ague-weed” and “feverwort,” is “a popular remedy in fever and ague” and used for colds, dyspepsia, and jaundice; in large doses it acts as “an emetic and cathartic.” Catnip is employed “in derangements of women, as a mild stimulant and tonic, and has a quieting effect on the nervous system.” These claims reflect early 20th-century pharmacopeia, not modern evidence. Henkel also notes import status: catnip is “imported in but small quantities,” while hoarhound has become a troublesome weed in California, “taking complete possession of the land.” The bulletin thus documents both the promise and the problem of these plants, grounding its advice in economic and agricultural realities.

Structure and Illustrations as Reading Aids

The bulletin’s organization aids a first reading. A table of contents lists 25 plants, from burdock to white mustard, and an illustration index references 31 figures. Each plant profile is self-contained, allowing readers to jump to a species of interest. The illustrations—line drawings of whole plants, roots, and flowering branches—are integral to identification. For example, fig. 20 shows catnip’s “many-flowered clusters” and leaf shape, while fig. 21 depicts hoarhound’s “whitish, woolly” appearance. Henkel’s prose often echoes the images: she describes jimson weed’s “large, trumpet-shaped flowers” and “spiny capsules.” Readers should consult the figures alongside the text, as the descriptions assume visual reference. The bulletin’s brevity—about 65 minutes’ reading—makes it accessible, but its density of detail rewards careful study.

Henkel’s bulletin is best approached as a reference work: read the introduction for context, then browse entries by interest or need. The consistent format makes comparison easy, and the price notes offer a historical snapshot of the drug trade. Readers should remember that the medicinal claims reflect 1904 knowledge, not current science. For botanists, the descriptions remain accurate; for historians, the bulletin captures a moment when agriculture and pharmacy were closely linked. Treat it as a period guide to turning weeds into wages.

Reading about those modest weeds turned into medicine reminded me of something oddly similar—that quiet way a record of ordinary things can hold so much weight. It’s like the Gunshot Roentgenograms collection: Gunshot Roentgenograms A Collection of Roentgenograms Taken in Constantinople During the Turko-Balkan War, 1912-1913, Illustrating Some Gunshot Wounds in the Turkish — Context and Discussion lingers the same way, a stark archive of what the body endures, left to stay with you softly.