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home page First - Aid on the Trail
Pioneer Medicines
At the time of the pioneers, even minor illnesses could cause death. One reason was because they did not know about germs. Many times they shared dishes and bedding.
There were very few doctors on the frontier. Many times the pioneers had to make their own medicine. They used herbs, which are plants, roots, and bark. They learned about the herbs from the Indians.
Below are some illness, pioneer
cures, and why the cure sometimes did help.
| Illness | Cure | Benefit |
| arthritic pain | alfalfa | good for pituitary gland |
| congestion | bayberry bark | prevents hemorrhages |
| allergies | bee pollen | energy food |
| sluggish liver | beet root | cleans liver and spleen |
| tape worms | black walnut hulls | good for nerves |
| impurities from blood | burdock root | soothes kidney |
| colic in babies | catnip herb | soothes nerves |
| rheumatism | celery seeds | |
| diarrhea | comfrey leaves | |
| bladder and kidney problems | dandelion root (raw) | prevents anemia (high iron content) |
| gas, gout, colic | fennel seed | takes away appetite |
| asthma, whooping cough, heart problems | garlic | stimulates digestive system |
| low blood pressure | ginseng | energy |
| (restores) heart muscle wall | hawthorn berries | heart disease |
| sore throat | horehound | |
| kidney stones | horsetail | youthful skin |
| (expels) gallstones | parsley | prevents growth of cancer cells |
| infection | red clover | blood purifier, prevents cancer |
| hemorrhaging | sage | prevents scurvy (high vitamin C content) |
| headaches, nervous tension |
wild lettuce | cleans ulcers |
| general pain | willow bark |
Go to these pages to learn more about pioneer life on the trail:
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