Dr. Richard Brown spoke to an enthusiastic audience last evening on the history of medicine in Early Virginia, touching on the extensive use of plants and herbs in treating ailments. While some Colonial-era remedies sound questionable today, others - such as digitalis and quinine - are still in our medical vocabulary. Still others, such as lavender, rosemary, thyme and mint, as found in most modern herb gardens. And laudanum was once thought to be good, very good - if it didn't kill you first. Thank you, Dr. Brown, for a lively and informative presentation, and for the list of Colonial herbs you provided as a handout.
handout_herbs.docx