The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-01-17
What is Sassafras Gsod For.

Wuat Is SnSSafraS Coed FOrs
This is u question that was asked
the other day by correspondent of
The News and Courier, and the Savan-
nah News makes the following an
swer:
The correspondent, if he is native
of the South, has probably been famil-
lar with the plant all his life. No
doubt he has drank sassafras tea hun
dreds of times; smacked his lips over
it and askedsfor more. Nevertheless
he knows no more of it than that sas-
safras is shrub or tree, the roots,
branches aud leaves Of which have u
rather strong, pungent aromatic and
rather sweetish taste, and that tea is
sometimes made of the bark of the
roots. Familiarity with the sassa-
fras has made it uninteresting; no.
body in the South pays great deal
Of attention 80 it. 1t grows almos t
everywhere, and especially likes the
soils Of old fields and hedge rows. 1t
grows wild. TO suggest to Georgian
or South Carolinian that sassafras be
cultivated would be laughed at.
Nevertheless the sassafras plant is
full of virture from the lowest point
of it's tap root to the crown of it's foil
age. Bark, leaves, wood, pith and
roots contain valuable properties.
The leave- are heavily charged with a
mucilagin"n> juice which may be made
to serve every purpose Of gum arabic.
The pith ais" Is a gum producer in
even larger degree than the leaves.
An investigator says that few inches
of sassafras pith put into a glass of
cold water will in a few minutes make
glass full of mucilage. During the
civil war, In some parts of the South,
sassafras leaves were employed to fur
nish the thickcning for soup; and it
was very palatcablc and healthful
th:ckeinng, too. During that time,
also, sassairas tea was largely used as
a substitute for coffee and the ordin-
ary tea of commerce. The sassairas
infusion, however, is moro hcalthful
beverage than either tea or coffee.
1t has positive alternative properties,
and as blood remedy it should be
ranked along with sa-saparilla. Its
also diuretic and soporiGc; it is good
for the kidneys, and to procure per-
spiration. 1t is valuable in cases of
colds or rcver- Oil Of sassafras, ac-
cording u u sncdicai authority, "is-
used in the treatment Of cutaneans
diseases, rheumatism, gout, ETC. 1t
is COMMONLY used in connection with
other drugs. 1t has been stated that
great many Of the magic" proprie.
tary liniments which. .are so popular,
ut 20 to so cents bottle, are made of
spirits of turpentiue, costing about 40
cents gallon, and little oil of sassa-
fras aud that a great many of the "dis-
coveries,' "cures,'' and, the like,
which cost 81 a bottle, have as their
base an infusion of sassafras. We
recognize the virturas Of she sassafras
and turpentine after somebody
thousand miles away has mixed them
and given them a catchy name; but
we don't care much about them in
their natural state. Flavoring ex-
tracts are also made from sassasafras,
aud there is no more delightful and
refreshing beverage than sassafras
beer on hot day. The mucilage from
the pith of the sassafras is said to be
an excellent remedy for sore eyes, or
for almost any irritation and sore tis-
sue. AS gargle for sore throat sas-
safras tco, with alum, has recognized
standing il every rural housewives
cupboard. Still, most people are un-
familiar with the sassafras, for the
reason that it ia so common.