Today, herbal pillows are all but neglected as sleeping aids. But, if you're willing to take a chance on this simple indulgence, they stand a good chance of resurrection. Agrimony was also a popular herb to use in pillows since it was also believed to be soporific, or sleep inducing. How fortunate that was for our Juliet, since belladonna is extremely toxic, and a good dose usually does more than make one appear lifeless. Herbal pillows are made by sewing dried herbs into a square of cloth or bag, but without a fixative, their aroma is short lived.
Many herbs lose much of their original scent when dried.
The lovely scent of the rose for instance, is greatly diminished when dried. Fixatives help to retain and develop the fragrant combination of herbs used in making potpourri, the base material for making herbal pillows. Traditionally used animal fixatives are ambergris, civet, and musk. Ambergris is a secretion obtained from the intestines of the sperm whale, civet from the African civet cat, and musk from the male musk deer of Central Asia. These extracts are available in synthetic form, a product equally suitable, and more sensitive to the preservation of wildlife.