I was delighted and surprised this weekend when my daughter brought up the remedies of herbalist Lydia Pinkham.
Lydia Estes Pinkham (February 9, 1819 – May 17, 1883) was an iconic concocter and shrewd marketer of a commercially successful herbal-alcoholic "women's tonic" meant to relieve menstrual and menopausal pains. Although Pinkham's Vegetable Compound sold well to the general public, it was regarded by health experts as quackery. (Wikipedia)
Her formula contained 5 different herbs. The herbs were pleurisy root, life root, fenugreek, unicorn root, and black cohash. Most women take this to try to get pregnant. It must be stopped when the female is ovulating. All of these herbs have been used by several American Indian tribes.
In addition to being used for trying to get pregnant, many have also been used for menopausal symptoms.
Until tomorrow...