Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-01-10
farnl and firesidr.
WHAT IS SASSAFRAS GOOD FOR?

This is a question that was asked
the other day by correspondent OF
The News aud Courier, and the SaVan'
nah News makes the following answer ::
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 hum
dreds of times, smacked his lips over
it and asked for more. Nevertheless
be knows no more of it than that sas-
safras is q shrub or tree, the roots,
branches and leaves Of which have
rather strong, pungent, aromatic and
rather sweetish taste, and that tea Is
sometimes made of the bark of the
roots. Familiarity with the sassafras
has made it uninteresting; nobody III
the south pays great deal OF atten'
ton TO it. 1t grows almost every
where, and especially likes the soils OF
old fields and hedge rows. 1t grows
wild. To suggest to Georgian or
South Carolinian that sassatras be cul
tivated would be laughed at.
Nevertheless the sassafras plant Is
full of virtue from the lowest point Of
its tap root TO the crown of its foliage.
Bark, leaves, wood, pith and roots con.
tain valuable proper ties. The leaves
are heavily charged with mucilagin-
Gus 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
says that few inches OF
sassafras pith put into a glass of cold
water will in few minutes make a
glass full of mucilage. During the
civil war, in some parts OF the south,
sassafras leaves were employed to fur
nish the thickening for soup; aud IL
was very palatable and healthful thick.
ening, too. During that time, also,
sassafras tea was largely used as sub
slitute for coffee aud the ordinary tea
of commerce. The sassafras Infusion,
however, is more healthful beverage
than either tea or coffee. 1t has pos
tive alternative properties, and AS a
blood remedy it should be ranked along
with sarsaparilla. 1t is also diurelic
and soporific ; it is good for the kidneys,
and to procure perspiration. 1t Is
valuble IN cases of colds or fevers.
Oil of sassafras, according to medl,
cal authority, "is used in the treatment
of cutaneous diseases, rheumatism,
gout, etc." 1t is co nmonly used III
connection with other drugs. 1t has
been stated that great many of the
"magic" proprietary liniments which
are SO popular, at % to so cents u
bottle, are made of spirits Of turpen'
tine, costing about 40 cents a gallon,
and little oil of sassafras, and that
great many of the "discoveries, "
"cures," and the like, which cost 81 a
bottle, have as their base an infusion oi
sassafras. We recognize the virtues
of the sasasfras and turpeutine after
somebody a thousand miles away has
mixed them and given them a catchy
name; but we don't care much about
them in their natural state. FIavoring
extracts are also made from sassafras,
and 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 al
excellent remedy for sore eyes, or for
almost any irritation and sore tissue.
As a gargle for sore throat, sassairas
tea, with alum, has recognized stand
ing in every rural housewives cup.
board. Still, most people are un'
familiar with the sassalras, for the rea'
son that it is so common.