Castle Baths Medicinal Herb Guide

For many centuries herbs have been used in a variety of different ways.  From healing to food herbs have been with us humans since the beginning of time.

From the beginning of time herbs have been used in many different ways:

• to enhance the flavour of food

• to treat illness

• to make colorful dyes for clothes

• to perfume the air

• to disinfect homes

• for use in wedding ceremonies and to honor achievements in clans

• to create beauty lotions and ointments

• to help protect against diseases during the long winter months 

Herbs have long been used for their medicinal purposes.  Thousands of years ago the only way people could treat illness was not by calling their pharmacist but by going to their local healer who knew the plants of the earth and their healing properties. 

These records were well protected and passed down from generation to generation.  At one time if you knew a lot about healing herbs you were branded a witch and burned for your knowledge.

Then came the time of civilization.  The Romans and the Greeks were well versed in the healing arts of herbs.  The Greeks studied every type of plant that they came in contact with.  The Romans took that knowledge with them when they marching across Europe and brought back more herbs for their people to look at and learn from. 

During the medieval period, the treatment of the sick went to religious leaders.  The first actual herb gardens in Europe were planted in the 6th centruy by Benedictine monks.

The monks began to collect herbs and planting gardens to have at hand the herbs needed to treat the sick.  They wrote down everything they learned by hand and in Latin.  From how each herb was grown, what weather they faired better in, how to take care of the soil, to the healing properties of the herb.

In a way it was good but think about if you were the unlucky one to get a poisionous herb. .

Then came the great exploration age when explorers started heading out to new lands.  The explorers discovered new herbs and plants and brought those back to their homelands.

The colonists brought with them to the New World all the seeds that they so depended on in their homeland.  They had to be very careful not to get them wet while traveling over the ocean to the New World.

As new immigrants arrived in America from different regions of Europe, each group brought herbs of its homeland.  Then, in the 1800's, the Shaker communities developed commercial herb farms to supply city dwellers who had no garden space.  The old patent medicines, sold door to door by traveling salesman, were basically syrups made of herbs and spices. (1)

It is my hope to revive the interest in natural healing and show you how easy it really is to grow your own herb garden and learn the basics of using the most basic herbs that you see everyday.

God put everything we ever needed to survive right here on this earth, all we need to do is remember what our ancestors already knew....We can survive without technology.

I have over the years written down tons of information, some from books some from my own observations.  I will be passing these journals down to my own sons and their wives with the hope that god forbid we ever need to remember the "good ole days" they at least will be prepared to help nurse their families and friends families.

(1)taken from The Complete Herb Book by Maggie Stuckey