Indians have various and sundry medicinal uses for sassafras (Sassafras albidum).
Highlights
- Sassafras has medicinal uses
- Grows in eastern North America from Florida to Canada
- Known by multiple names
- 82 medicinal uses for sassafras from 11 Indian tribes listed in table below
What is Sassafras?
Today, sassafras is mostly known for being the taste of root beer despite it’s history as an important plant in both Indian and European medicine. Sassafras is a small deciduous tree native to eastern North America from Canada to Florida. It has green apetalous flowers and dimorphous leaves and it grows to roughly 20 feet tall, however some trees have grown to 100 feet tall with a diameter of six feet.

The leaf is typically trilobed and mitten shaped, however, it can sometimes form with one or two lobes. Smaller trees the size of large shrubs are desired for their roots and leaves, while bigger trees are desired for their timber. The wood and bark possess a characteristically sweet smell.
Sassafras wood is resistant to decay so some Indians used it for dugout canoes, and after contact, the Cherokees used it for furniture and fence posts.
Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians ground sassafras leaves to thicken and spice their food. They introduced the practice to Europeans and Africans and this food is now called filé, a staple in Cajun and Creole gumbos.
Europeans used sassafras as treatment for the French Pox or syphilis. It was also a consumer drink served in coffee houses as “bochet” when it was mixed with tea.1
In backcountry Appalachia, sassafras roots were worn by Scotch-Irish immigrants to ward off witches, and they believed the devil would roost on their rooftops if sassafras wood was ever burned.2
Names for Sassafras
Sassafras has many names. Common names include saxifrax, saloop, ague tree, and cinnamon wood.3 In the late sixteenth century, Englishman Thomas Harriot reported the Algonquian speaking Indians of coastal North Carolina called sassafras winauk, and Scotsman Robert Gordon also claimed the Indians of Nova Scotia called it by the same name.4 Spanish botanist Nicolas Monardes said the Timucua speaking Indians of southern Georgia and northern Florida called it pauame or pavame.5

For more information on sassafras in the Anglo-American Atlantic world, check out How were the English introduced to Sassafras, Monardes and Gerard on Sassafras, Sassafras and Natural Philosophy, and Nicholas Culpeper on Sassafras.
Indian Medicinal Uses for Sassafras
Below is a chart and accompanying definitions listing various Indian medicinal uses for sassafras.6 Expand the number of entries on the chart to see the complete table.
Indian Medicinal Uses of Sassafras
Tribe | Description | Method | Part of tree | Other to add | Treatment for | Additional symptoms | Additional Details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cherokee | oral aid | chew | roots | bad breath | |||
Cherokee | anthelmintic | infusion | bark | worms | |||
Cherokee | antidiarrheal | infusion | root bark | diarrhea | |||
Cherokee | antirheumatic | infusion | rheumatism | ||||
Cherokee | dietiary aid | infusion | bark | obesity | |||
Cherokee | dermatology aid | poultice | wounds and sores | ||||
Cherokee | eye medicine | wash | sore eyes | ||||
Cherokee | blood medicine | blood purifier | |||||
Cherokee | misc. disease remedy | fever | |||||
Cherokee | venereal aid | venereal disease | |||||
Chippewa | blood medicine | infusion | root bark | blood thinner | |||
Choctaw | blood medicine | decoction | roots | blood thinner | |||
Choctaw | misc. disease remedy | decoction | roots | measles | |||
Delaware | blood medicine | root bark | blood purifier | ||||
Delaware | tonic | bark | tonic | ||||
Houma | misc. disease remedy | roots | measles | fresh or dried roots | |||
Houma | misc. disease remedy | roots | scarlett fever | fresh or dried roots | |||
Iroquois | hemostat | decoction | sprouts | nosebleed | pith from new sprouts | ||
Iroquois | hypotensive | decoction | roots, sprouts | high blood pressure | pith from new sprouts | ||
Iroquois | orthopedic aid | decoction | roots | edema | swelling in calves and shins | ||
Iroquois | blood medicine | decoction and infusion | roots | watery blood | |||
Iroquois | anthelmintic | infusion | roots | whiskey | tapeworms | compound infusion | |
Iroquois | antirheumatic | infusion | roots | whiskey | rheumatism | compound infusion | |
Iroquois | cold remedy | infusion | roots | colds | women | ||
Iroquois | febrifuge and gynecological aid | infusion | roots | fever after childbirth | women | ||
Iroquois | eye medicine | infusion or decoction as a wash | sore eyes | ||||
Iroquois | eye medicine | infusion or decoction as a wash | cataracts | ||||
Iroquois | dermatological aid | poultice | wounds, cuts, and bruises | ||||
Iroquois | tonic | tonic | |||||
Iroquois | blood medicine | sprouts | blood medicine | pith from new sprouts | |||
Koasati | heart medicine | decoction | roots | heart troubles | |||
Koasati | dermatological aid | poultice | leaves | bee stings | |||
Mohegan | eye medicine | decocotion for wash | shoots | sore eyes | |||
Mohegan | tonic | tonic | root, leaves, bark | other herbs | |||
Nanticoke | febrifuge | infusion | roots | fever | |||
Nanticoke | misc. disease remedy | infusion | prevent fever | ||||
Rappahannock | burn dressing | decocotion for wash | branch | burns | |||
Rappahannock | eye medicine | decocotion for wash | branches | sore eyes | branch pith | ||
Rappahannock | dermatological aid | infusion | roots | measles | rash | ||
Rappahannock | febrifuge | infusion | roots | measles | fever | ||
Rappahannock | misc. disease remedy | infusion | roots | measles | rash, fever | ||
Rappahannock | sedative | infusion | roots | nerves | |||
Rappahannock | tonic | infusion | roots | spring tonic | |||
Rappahannock | stimulant | buds | lethargy | increase vigor in males | |||
Seminole | laxative | decocotion | bark | horse sickness | nausea, constipation, blocked urination | ||
Seminole | antidiarrheal | decoction | wolf ghost sickness | diarrhea, painful defecation | |||
Seminole | antiemetic | decoction | bark | horse sickness | nausea, constipation, blocked urination | ||
Seminole | antiemetic | decoction | roots | vomiting | continuous vomiting | ||
Seminole | cathartic | decoction | wolf ghost sickness | diarrhea, painful defecation | |||
Seminole | urinary aid | decoction | bark | horse sickness | nausea, constipation, blocked urination | ||
Seminole | analgesic | infusion | wolf sickness | vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, frequent urination | |||
Seminole | antidiarrheal | infusion | racoon sickness | diarrhea | children | ||
Seminole | antidiarrheal | infusion | bark | otter sickness | diarrhea, vomiting | ||
Seminole | antidiarrheal | infusion | wolf sickness | vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, frequent urination | |||
Seminole | antiemetic | infusion | bark | otter sickness | diarrhea, vomiting | ||
Seminole | antiemetic | infusion | bark | cat sickness | nausea | rubbed on body | |
Seminole | antiemetic | infusion | wolf sickness | vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, frequent urination | |||
Seminole | cold remedy | infusion | colds | mouthwash, gargle | |||
Seminole | dermatological aid | infusion | bark | monkey sickness | fever, itch, enlarged eyes | babies | |
Seminole | dietiary aid | infusion | bark | opossum sickness | appetite loss, drooling | babies | |
Seminole | dietiary aid | infusion | bark | dog sickness | appetite loss, drooling | children, adults | |
Seminole | emetic | infusion | bark | cat sickness | nausea | rubbed on body | |
Seminole | gastrointestinal aid | infusion | wolf sickness | vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, frequent urination | |||
Seminole | oral aid | infusion | bark | opossum sickness | appetite loss, drooling | babies | |
Seminole | oral aid | infusion | bark | dog sickness | appetite loss, drooling | ||
Seminole | other | infusion | mythical wolf sickness | rubbed on body | |||
Seminole | pediatric aid | infusion | racoon sickness | diarrhea | small children | ||
Seminole | pediatric aid | infusion | bark | otter sickness | diarrhea, vomiting | ||
Seminole | pediatric aid | infusion | bark | dog sickness | appetite loss, drooling | children, adult | |
Seminole | throat aid | infusion | sore throat | ||||
Seminole | urinary aid | infusion | wolf sickness | vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, frequent urination | |||
Seminole | febrifuge | infusion for bath | bark | monkey sickness | fever, itch, enlarged eyes | bath | |
Seminole | pediatric aid | infusion for bath | bark | opossum sickness | appetite loss, drooling | babies | |
Seminole | eye medicine | infusion for wash | bark | monkey sickness | fever, itch, enlarged eyes | babies | |
Seminole | analgesic | bark | cow sickness | lower chest pain, digestive disturbances, diarrhea | |||
Seminole | analgesic | gallstones, bladder pain | |||||
Seminole | antidiarrheal | cow sickness | lower chest pain, digestive disturbances, diarrhea | ||||
Seminole | ceremonial medicine | bark | vomiting | induce vomiting for purification after funerals | |||
Seminole | cough medicine | cough | |||||
Seminole | emetic | bark | induce vomiting | "clean the insides" | |||
Seminole | gastrointestinal aid | bark | cow sickness | lower chest pain, digestive disturbances, diarrhea | |||
Seminole | urinary aid | gallstones, bladder pain |
Definitions
The following are definitions of terms in the above chart.
- Decoction – the liquor resulting from concentrating the essence of a substance by heating or boiling
- Infusion – a drink, remedy, or extract prepared by soaking the leaves of a plant or herb in liquid
- Poultice – a soft, moist mass of material, typically of plant material or flour, applied to the body to relieve soreness and inflammation and kept in place with a cloth
- Tonic – medicinal drink taken to give a feeling of vigor or well-being
- Analgesic – drug that relieves pain
- Anthelmintic – drug used for the treatment of intestinal parasites
- Antidiarrheal – drug used to stop diarrhea
- Antiemetic – drug that inhibits vomiting
- Antirheumatic – drug used for rheumatism or arthritis
- Blood medicine – medicine designed to purify or influence the blood
- Burn dressing – all type of dressing applied externally to burns
- Cathartic – drug that causes evacuation of the bowels, a strong laxative; physic and purgative are synonyms of cathartic
- Ceremonial medicine – medicine used as part of ceremonies
- Cold remedy – medicine used for the relief or cure of colds
- Cough medicine – medicine used for the relief or cure of coughs
- Dermatological aid – drug used to treat any condition of the skin or hair
- Dietary aid – drug that affects the diet or hunger in a situation involving illness, usually used to increase the appetite of a sick person with no appetite or to decrease it (“diet pills”)
- Emetic – drug that causes vomiting
- Eye medicine – drug used for any afflictions of the eye
- Febrifuge – drug used to reduce fevers
- Gastrointestinal aid – drug used to treat distress of the digestive tract
- Gynecological aid – drug used to treat problems surrounding pregnancy and childbirth and other problems specific to women
- Heart medicine – drug used for the treatment of heart problems
- Hemostat – drug used to stop external bleeding
- Hyptotensive – drug used to reduce blood pressure
- Laxative – a mild treatment for constipation
- Miscellaneous disease remedy – drug used for a particular disease not categorized elsewhere
- Oral aid – drug used for the treatment of various mouth disorders
- Orthopedic aid – drug used for afflictions of the muscles or bones
- Other – drug used for various conditions and ailments that are not diseases and not categorized elsewhere
- Pediatric aid – drug specifically mentioned as a treatment for children
- Sedative – drug that reduces excitement or upset, a “downer”
- Stimulant – drug that reduces excitement or upset, an “upper”
- Throat aid – drug used for afflictions of the throat
- Tonic – drug used as a tonic for various ailments
- Urinary aid – drug used for problems of the urinary tract and by men for sexual organ problems
- Venereal aid – drug used for any venereal disease
The following are the tribes mentioned in the chart above and their general geographic location.
- Cherokee – western North Carolina, northwestern Georgia, Oklahoma
- Chippewa – also known as the Ojibwa, located in the upper Midwest and southern Ontario
- Choctaw – Louisiana, Mississippi
- Delaware – east coast, Ontario, Oklahoma
- Houma – Louisiana
- Iroquois – upstate New York, southern Quebec
- Koasati – southeastern United States
- Mohegan – Connecticut
- Nanticoke – Delaware
- Rappahannock – Virginia
- Seminole – southern Florida
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Endnotes
- Joseph Ewan, “Plant Resources in Colonial America,” Environmental Review 1, no. 2 (1976): 48.
- Marie B. Mellinger, “The Spirit is Strong in the Root,” Appalachian Journal 4, no. 3/4 (Spring & Summer 1977): 246.
- Alma R. Hutchens, Indian Herbalogy of North America (Boston: Shambhala, 1973), 242-243.
- Thomas Harriot, A briefe and true report of the new founde land of Virginia (Frankfurt, Theodore de Bry, 1590), 9; and Robert Gordon, Encouragements for such as shall have intention to bee under-takers in the new plantation of Cape Briton (Edinburgh, 1625), fol. C4.
- Nicolas Monardes, Joyfull Newes out of the Newe Founde Worlde trans. John Frampton vol. 1, 1925 reprint (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1925). The book was sometimes referred to The ioyfull newes from the West Indies
- The information in the chart and definitions comes directly from Daniel E. Moerman, Native American Ethnobotany (Portland: Timber Press, 1998).
Great article! Will share with my students.
Very interesting!—drp