The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-01-17
What is Sassafras Good For ?

w Adt 1S OdScdAl Go oSOo 4 oe
This is a question that was asked
the other day by correspondent OF
The News and Courier, and the Savsn
nah News makes the following an
swer:
The correspondent. ifhe is native
of the south, has probably been tamiI
lar with the plant ali his life No
doubt be has drank sassasfras tea
hundreds of times, smacked his lips
over i. and asked for more Never
.heiess he knows 20 more of it than
that sassairas is shrub or tree, the
roots, branches and leaves Of which
have rather strong, pungent, aro-
matte and rather sweetlstn taste, and
that tea is sometimes made of the
bark of the roots Familiarity with
the sassafras has made It paioterest.
ing; nobody in the south pays a
great deal of attention to it. 1t
grows almost everywhere, and es-
pecially likes the soils of old fields
aud hedge rows 1t grows wild.
70 suggest TO the Georgian or South
Carolinian that sassafras be cultivated
would be laughed at.
Nevertheless the sassafras plant is
full Of yirfure from the lowest point
Of the tap root to the crown of lis
foliage Bark, leaves, wood, pi.b.
the roots contain valuable proper
ties The leaves are heavily charg
ed with mucilaginous juice which
may be made to serve every purpose
of gum arabic The pith also is a
gum producer in even larger degree
| than the leaves. an investigator
says that a few inches Of sassafras
pith put iato glass Of cold water
will in few minutes make glass
full of mucilage During the civil
war, 10 some parts of the soath.
sassafras leaves were employed to
furnish the tbickeniug for soup; and
it was very palatable and heaIthful
.hickenlrg. too During that time,
also, sassatras tea was largely used
as substitute for coffee aud the ordi.
nary tea of commerce. The sasssfrss
infusion, however, is more health
ful beverage than either tea or coffee
It has positive Alternative properties.
and as blood remedy it should be
ranked along with sarsapariiia. l: is
also diure,ic and sopori6c it is
good for the kidneys, and 20 produce
perspiration. 1t is valuable in cases
of colds and fevers. Oil of the sas
safras, according to the medical
authority, els used in the treatment
of cutsneous diseases, rheumatism,
gou.. etc." It is commonly used in
connection with other drugs 1t has
been stated that in great nany Of
the magic" proprietary liniments
which are so popular, at 25 and 50
cents bottle, are made of spirits ol
turpentine, costing about 80 cents a
gallon, and little oil of sassafras,
aud chat greet many of the "iiscov-
cries" cures" and the like which
cost 81 bottle. have as their base
an infusion of sassafras. We recog-
nize the virtues of the sassafras and
surpentine after somebody thousand
miles away has mixed them and given
them catchy name; +; but we dom,
care much about them in their
natural state Favoriog extracts are
also made from sassafras, and there
is 10 more delightful aud refreshing
beverage than sassaffas beer on bot
day The mucilage from the plth
of the sassafras is said to be All ex.
ceIlea. remedy for sore eyes, OF
for almost any irritation and sore tis
sue AS gargle for sore throat.
sassairas tea, with alum, has re
cognized standing in every yura1
housewives cupboard Still, moss
people are unfamiliar With tue sassa
fras, for the reason that it is 80 com
mon