For early American households, the herb garden was an all-purpose medicine chest. Herbs were used to treat apoplexy lily of the valley, asthma burdock, horehound, boils onion, tuberculosis chickweed, coltsfoot, palpitations saffron, valerian, jaundice speedwell, nettles, toad flax, toothache dittander, hemorrhage yarrow, hypochondria mustard, viper grass, wrinkles cowslip juice, cancers bean-leaf juice, and various other ailments. But herbs were used for a host of other purposes as well -- and in this fascinating book, readers will find a wealth of information on the uses of herbs by homemakers of the past, including more than 500 authentic recipes, given exactly as they appeared in their original sources.brSelected from such early American cookbook classics as Miss Leslie'si Directions for Cookery, iMary Randolph'si The Virginia Housewife, iLydia Child'si The American Frugal Housewife, i and other rare publications, the recipes cover the use of herbs for medicinal, culinary, cosmetic,