Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
The leaves could be made into teas and poultices, while the root bark was either chipped or crushed and then steeped in boiling water—one ounce of bark to one pint of water—and taken in doses of a wine glassful as often as needed to reduce fevers; soothe chronic rheumatism, gout, and dropsy; relieve eye inflammation; ease menstrual and parturition pain; help cure scurvy and various skin conditions; and act as a disinfectant in dental surgery. Because it was thought to be a blood purifier and effective against excess mucus discharge, the plant was even regarded as a cure for syphilis and gonorrhea.
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