These Plants Could Have Saved You! - Historical Herbal Medicine

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  • Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
  • Books we recommend about historical medicine▶ www.townsends.us/book-recommen... ▶▶
    In this episode Jon goes back in time to 1836 and Prairie Town to ask about medicinal herbs used on the early American frontier. Special thanks to all the folks at Conner Prairie for hosting this episode!
    Help support the channel with Patreon ▶ / townsend ▶▶
    Conner Prairie website ▶ www.connerprairie.org/ ▶▶
    Check Out Our Brand New Website! ▶ www.townsends.us/ ▶▶
    Twitter ▶ @Jas_Townsend
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Комментарии • 864

  • @Melissa0774
    @Melissa0774 6 лет назад +692

    This RUclips channel is the kind of thing that would have been a TV show on PBS back in the late '80's and early '90's if this had been around back then.

    • @victorialadybug1
      @victorialadybug1 6 лет назад +19

      You are very correct.

    • @PerceptionVsReality333
      @PerceptionVsReality333 6 лет назад +3

      Definitely

    • @neverready7504
      @neverready7504 6 лет назад +28

      Melissa0774 and I would have had every season on VCR to this day if it were true. I like the early morning time for school feeling it gives me. Really nostalgic for me

    • @sasayaki
      @sasayaki 6 лет назад +14

      There were some really cool shows on PBS back then. Now it's not as diverse for sure.

    • @Levy_Wilson
      @Levy_Wilson 6 лет назад +12

      Well, PBS still has The Woodwright Shop, so anyone interested in old woodworking should definitely check out the episodes online. He does all his stuff with hand tools that might not have been available in the 18th century, but were certainly capable of making back then.

  • @LuLu6214
    @LuLu6214 6 лет назад +264

    As an herbalist, this episode makes me oh so very happy. Yarrow was used in the Civil War to stop massive bleeding, Sage is good for the throat but a bit strong (I use it regularly), and elderberry syrup is great for flu (especially kids) and on pancakes (I'm making some today for flu season and with a bit of gelatin you can make it into gummies). Mullein flowers make an excellent cough syrup, the leaves are an inflammation reducer and fight infection. Plantain leaves also help reduce skin irritation (I use it in my homemade salves/balms with several other herbs like calendula, comfry, etc)...Well I totally geeked out...guess I was born in the wrong century.
    *I just found Culpepper's Complete Herbal online. Thanks for another great episode.

    • @frugalmum7943
      @frugalmum7943 3 года назад +15

      3 years on and I'm geeking out reading your comment :) G'day from Australia. Home of tea tree plants and eucalyptus :)

    • @jared0379
      @jared0379 3 года назад +5

      Have you ever heard of Amendi and Ghana leaves, they are both Nigerian herbs and I was told by an herbalist there to take them for my health issues but have never heard of them and can't find any info on them?

    • @grimace4257
      @grimace4257 3 года назад +4

      I’m into the history of it but you can find much more effective modern equivalents of all these things at the pharmacy.

    • @abaddon2148
      @abaddon2148 3 года назад +7

      @@grimace4257 plants are free tho

    • @VisonsofFalseTruths
      @VisonsofFalseTruths 2 года назад +14

      @@grimace4257 most pharmaceuticals are derived directly from plants. She mentioned willow bark, for example. Once ingested it gets metabolized into salicylic acid. You might know it as aspirin: what you buy over the counter is just a synthetic form of the same chemical.
      It’s useful to keep a few herbs on hand. What if, say, you burn yourself cooking one night. Not serious but it hurts like hell. All the pharmacies are closed and you don’t have any ointment on hand. Take a cutting from an aloe plant, crush it up well, and apply the resulting gel to a sterile gauze pad, or any clean cloth. Apply to the burn, wrap, and in a few minutes the pain should subside and the burn will heal fine; the gel also has antiseptic properties so it’ll ward off infection, too. And aloe is hella hardy, you almost have to TRY to kill it. It must be 2 or 3 weeks since I watered mine and it’s going strong. Just need a sunny spot for it.

  • @cynthiabrogan9215
    @cynthiabrogan9215 4 года назад +38

    Her: good for anxiety
    Me and my broskis: WE’LL TAKE YOUR ENTIRE STOCK

  • @srbontrager
    @srbontrager 6 лет назад +7

    This brought back memories of how my grandmother was, just back in the not too distant 1990's, when I was just in grade school. I can't even begin to imagine how many $1000's saved by using natural remedies instead of running to the doctor for every minor little ailment.

  • @Zunbil
    @Zunbil 6 лет назад +219

    This "in character" style of video was incredibly enjoyable to watch. Hopefully we'll get to see more ;)

  • @indiamcbuggins9758
    @indiamcbuggins9758 6 лет назад +93

    Mrs. Armstrong is wonderful! I'd really like to see her featured again, w/ more herbal concoctions, please! : )

    • @CajunRose
      @CajunRose 4 года назад +5

      As would I, very much so.

  • @ralphthewonderllama4923
    @ralphthewonderllama4923 6 лет назад +322

    I'm in Northwest Indiana; there's still no civilization here.

    • @jodymaley3674
      @jodymaley3674 6 лет назад +12

      sweet, enjoy reality

    • @censusgary
      @censusgary 6 лет назад +4

      So I've heard. ;-)

    • @Jarlemoore1
      @Jarlemoore1 6 лет назад +6

      That could be a good thing.

    • @dalegribble4308
      @dalegribble4308 5 лет назад +3

      Ralph The Wonder Llama maybe take pence out there and leave him

    • @labhrais6957
      @labhrais6957 5 лет назад +3

      😂😂 me too, I agree

  • @marylist9732
    @marylist9732 6 лет назад +177

    Jewelweed is also good for stinging nettle stings, in fact if you're out in the wild, & you run into a patch of stinging nettles, the jewelweed grows right by them.

    • @captaincalmag4953
      @captaincalmag4953 6 лет назад +23

      jewelweed is also good for poison ivy rash.

    • @Cadwaladr
      @Cadwaladr 6 лет назад +25

      Then put on your gloves, pick the nettles and cook them into soup.

    • @efraim3364
      @efraim3364 6 лет назад +23

      oddly enough Stinging Nettle is one of the most nutritious plants out there, make a tea from the young shoots where the needles havent matured yet

    • @Operator8282
      @Operator8282 6 лет назад +7

      Always used ferns for nettles here in the pacific northwest, but I guess you have to use what's around you at the time.

    • @marylist9732
      @marylist9732 6 лет назад +14

      Dock is another herb that eases stinging nettle stings. You rubbed the leaves on the stung part & you recite this verse. Nettle in,dock out, dock rub nettle out.

  • @LBrobie
    @LBrobie 6 лет назад +118

    her voice is lovely and soothing, very nice to listen to. :)

    • @katanatac
      @katanatac 4 года назад +3

      We have a family friend that is in her thirties that looks and sounds like this lady, I imagine she will be just like her when she grows a wee bit older.

  • @ISawABear
    @ISawABear 6 лет назад +16

    I like the 1st person video, the made-up back story actually puts you in that time period and adds on top of what we're already being taught.

  • @efraim3364
    @efraim3364 6 лет назад +102

    Yarrow is legendary in herbalism circles, so many uses

    • @mchrysogelos7623
      @mchrysogelos7623 4 года назад +11

      many of the plants mentioned in this episode are! Yes - Yarrow, also mullein, elderberry, willow bark - well ALL of them. That's why when Jon said his "medical disclaimer" at the beginning of the episode, I just said to myself NO, I trust most of this folklore medicine more than today's pharmaceuticals!

    • @olenickel6013
      @olenickel6013 4 года назад +10

      @@mchrysogelos7623 What a privileged thing to say. I hope you stay healthy and will never need any those oh so evul modern pharmaceuticals, nor will feel the need to experiment with herbs with unknown concentrations of chemicals, based on anecdote.

    • @Anonymous-km5pj
      @Anonymous-km5pj 4 года назад +7

      @@mchrysogelos7623 pharmaceuticals, from Greek _pharmakeia_ meaning sorcery. God bless.
      Revelation 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
      1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

    • @dontneedtoknow5836
      @dontneedtoknow5836 3 года назад +4

      I would save the yarrow for other means if I had access to black pepper. It has antibacterial and is an antioxidant. It irritates the soft tissue restricting blood flow to the area. Plus any wild predators really appreciate when you are-season yourself out of respect.

    • @TheDoctor1225
      @TheDoctor1225 3 года назад +7

      @@Anonymous-km5pj I have no clue what you're on about, but as both a professing follower of Christ and an EMT, I definitely take umbrage at the cherry picked quotation of Scripture as a seeming wholesale way to discount the advances made in medical practice to prevent disease and prolong life, as well as the cherry picking of only ONE meaning of the word that you quoted. Context is everything and in many cases, that word refers to medicine or the practice of a physician and NOT to sorcery. If you have a mistrust of "big pharmacy," fine, but it's a bit much to expect people to swallow that God's hand is against those who work in the medical/pharmaceutical field as though they are all evil and somehow akin to sorcerers. Please stop misleading people. When you consider also that Christ mentioned that those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, and greetings were brought from "Luke, the physician," in the book of Colossians, it makes what you're doing that much more egregious. Somehow I doubt Christ would have spoken positively of physicians had He thought them all evil.

  • @MrKmoconne
    @MrKmoconne 6 лет назад +48

    I knew about jewelweed when I was a kid and roamed the woods and fields near my house. If we suspected we brushed up against poison ivy, we would rub the area with crushed jewelweed. Seemed to work!

  • @siobhanmacdermott
    @siobhanmacdermott 6 лет назад +6

    Mullein is a two-year plant. If the roots are being used (in tincture form it's a mild sedative), dig the plant in the fall after the first frost. Second year plants produce the flowering stalk. The sedative can also be found in a milder form in the flowers, buds and stalk of the plant. Leaves can be used either first or second year.

    • @deedoyle4069
      @deedoyle4069 6 месяцев назад +2

      helpful for an asthmatic like me

  • @purplealice
    @purplealice 6 лет назад +43

    Fascinating! We still use many of these medicines, although instead of willow bark we refine it into aspirin (and other plants yield other useful substances). But you do have to be *very* careful about identifying them, because there are some very dangerous plants that look very much like the useful ones.

    • @GreatSageSunWukong
      @GreatSageSunWukong 6 лет назад +3

      Ace Lightning many of the useful ones contain poison and toxins, thats why we use the active compounds in modern medicine instead of boiling tea from willow bark

    • @purplealice
      @purplealice 6 лет назад +11

      That's part of the reason, but another reason is that we can concentrate the active compounds - one aspirin tablet is a lot easier to take than several cups of willow-bark tea. On the other hand, it's also been discovered that the "active" ingredient alone may have a different effect than the plant substance, which contains dozens of chemicals with slightly different properties. The whole leaf or root or whatever has a combination of all of them, which isn't the same as the single chemical. Pharmacology is always discovering new things!

    • @nicthemickatx
      @nicthemickatx Год назад

      @@GreatSageSunWukong more toxic than anything you'd pick up at McDonald's? I doubt.

  • @coppercoloredlifestyle9498
    @coppercoloredlifestyle9498 6 лет назад +84

    Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food.

  • @KillerBebe
    @KillerBebe 6 лет назад +60

    My parents were pre depression era children and they use to have chicory coffee once in awhile.

    • @GuppyCzar
      @GuppyCzar 6 лет назад +13

      Still popular in the south.

    • @lonewanderer3603
      @lonewanderer3603 6 лет назад +13

      I've heard it called New Orleans style, where you do a 50/50 with ground coffee. It would stretch out your coffee supply as you traveled. It's pretty good, I drink it often. You can find chicory coffee grounds anywhere French food items are sold.

    • @burtonhollabaugh3767
      @burtonhollabaugh3767 4 года назад +1

      Confederacy coffee

    • @Kruegernator123
      @Kruegernator123 3 года назад +2

      Chicory coffee is actually delicious and good for you

    • @agimagi2158
      @agimagi2158 2 года назад +1

      My grandpa always prefered it to regular coffee!

  • @hojiscott733
    @hojiscott733 6 лет назад +55

    Speaking of health - can you tell us about kitchen hygiene? With no running water in house, how did folks keep their pots, pans, dishes, and so forth clean? Did they have soaps that were easy to rinse? What were the habits for using less water? Did they have any kind of scrubbers like we have steel wool or other specialty cleaning tools? Thank you for your wonderful videos!!

    • @jodymaley3674
      @jodymaley3674 6 лет назад +14

      Hoji Scott - no soap? When camping, use hot water, a bit of sand, scrub well. I well remember my grandmother scalded her dishes and pots after washing by dipping in a big pot on the rolling boil located on top of the pot belly stove.

    • @hojiscott733
      @hojiscott733 6 лет назад +4

      +Jody Maley Thanks Jody. The camping idea is interesting, but, I'm more interested in daily life of the kitchen during the 1700 & 1800's. A big pot of boiling water sounds like it might work but would require a lot hauling of water everyday. Did she have running water or a well near the house?

    • @mrdanforth3744
      @mrdanforth3744 6 лет назад +12

      They would have a well near the house. Someone would have to bring in water by the pail full. If you cook over an open fireplace it is no trouble to keep a pot of hot water over the fire at all times. You can dip into it for cooking or just drop a pudding into the pot and let it cook in the boiling water.

    • @hojiscott733
      @hojiscott733 6 лет назад +3

      +Mr Danforth 374 I just asked Jody if her grandmother had a well nearby because my grandparents had a springhouse, and I believe many folks used streams. ----My question is about methods and materials for keeping things in the kitchen clean and hygienic. I'm looking for the kind of information that historians and re-enactors might know. (I can't imagine that they would cook in their wash water)

    • @mrdanforth3744
      @mrdanforth3744 6 лет назад +13

      No, they would take some boiling water out of the pot with a dipper. Put it in a wash basin. Then they would add enough cold water to bring it down to the right temperature.
      Most houses had a well nearby, or a spring or creek. If the water source was too far away to walk to with a bucket they would have to take a wagon and get water by the barrel.
      Jon has done a video about cleaning and washing dishes. I'm sure a search will turn it up.

  • @garlicgirl3149
    @garlicgirl3149 6 лет назад +14

    I looooooved this episode! I am studying complementary medicine and herbs have a long history in the USA. They died out at different points in our history especially with mainstream medicine and invention of antibiotics. People forget that many of our medicines come from plants. YAHOO!

  • @emiliodibenedetto4654
    @emiliodibenedetto4654 6 лет назад +19

    Mrs. Armstrong is a wealth of knowledge!
    Conner Prairie looks amazing, too! I'd really like to visit, someday.
    Thanks for doing what you do, Mr. Townsend!

  • @jasonbagley8706
    @jasonbagley8706 6 лет назад +15

    This is probably my favorite episode of Jas. Townsend & Son so far. I totally understand the disclaimer at the beginning, but will certainly vouch for some of these remedies first hand. I have made tea from willow leaves for headaches, and understand that it is the same active ingredient as aspirin, but three cups of this tea will break a fever, and make you sweat like crazy! Burdock is an effective antidote for a rash and itch caused by nettles; crush the leaves and rub on the affected area of the skin. I have first hand experience with this, and it is an amazing remedy. Mullen, or "Indian tobacco" as I have called it as well, is a good smoke, but just to let you know, smells like something else (so I have been told) when doing so. There are no illicit effects, but it completely changes the flavor of your coffee if you are enjoying them both at the same time. Speaking of which, chicory is a great coffee substitute, and dandelion root can be roasted and ground to make coffee as well. This is a great video, and I am sure I'll be watching it again. Even with the experience that I have regarding this subject I learned quite a bit, and would love to get my hands on a copy of the book you mentioned. Thank you so much!

  • @acriticalthinkerfromtexas7161
    @acriticalthinkerfromtexas7161 3 года назад +9

    I just discovered this channel and have spent the better part of my evening "marathon watching". I needed a break from depressing current events. This channel is a God send as it has been a delightful and educational diversion. It has reminded me that even though our country has endured dark and shameful chapters, its people eventually triumph by embracing the "better angels of our nature".
    Thank you and God bless you.

  • @mariansmith7694
    @mariansmith7694 5 лет назад +3

    I'm thankful for your efforts to help people reconnect to a simpler time. We have wandered far from the knowledge of what we can do for ourselves.

    • @andrewwilliam363
      @andrewwilliam363 2 года назад

      Very lovely and beautiful presentation, hi how are you doing!

    • @deedoyle4069
      @deedoyle4069 6 месяцев назад

      Times were simpler but NOT EASIER!!! Imagine getting all that good stuff by yourself! TOO much good info has already been lost!

  • @scarletletter4900
    @scarletletter4900 6 лет назад +43

    Some of this stuff (such as sage for the throat, lemon balm for stress, and fever few for migraine), has actually stood the tests of modern science. At least according to this book published by National Geographic in the most common herbal remedies.

    • @jessicacanfield5408
      @jessicacanfield5408 5 лет назад

      Yes I am new to herbals but I get Mother Eath Living and they have sections in their magazine about herbal remedies these that you mention are in there

    • @e.s.r5809
      @e.s.r5809 4 года назад +4

      I have a wonderful book named The Green Pharmacy by James Duke-- he was a botanist employed by the US Department of Agriculture to research herbal medicines and gather data on which ones were effective. He grades every herb listed in the book by proof of effectiveness and quality of the sources.

    • @deedoyle4069
      @deedoyle4069 6 месяцев назад

      My migraines Stopped when I learned to take: 1 Bromelain, 1 Feverfew, & 1 Evening Primrose Oil...all capsules....IF I use this combo at the first signs. I've been free of migraines for year!

  • @MasterMichelleFL
    @MasterMichelleFL 5 лет назад +2

    💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
    Yay!!
    Excellent episode, as usual!
    My great grandpa put chewed tobacco on my bee sting, 40 years ago. I just remembered...💚

  • @wishiwasabear
    @wishiwasabear 6 лет назад +311

    I want only your strongest herbs.

    • @MadMaxPain45
      @MadMaxPain45 5 лет назад +81

      You can't handle my herbs. They're too strong for you.

    • @BonsaiBrandy
      @BonsaiBrandy 4 года назад +47

      Canadian Moose herb seller, I’m going into the wilderness. I tell you I require only your strongest herbs

    • @Anonymous-km5pj
      @Anonymous-km5pj 4 года назад +22

      harvest those medicines grown under stress, they are most potent. God bless.
      Ecclesiasticus 38:4 The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them.

    • @generalrubbish9513
      @generalrubbish9513 3 года назад +13

      @@BonsaiBrandy My herbs aren't fit for a beast, let alone a man!

    • @EgoEroTergum
      @EgoEroTergum 3 года назад +11

      @@generalrubbish9513
      Very well herb seller, you've had your say, but now I'll have mine.
      You're a rascal. With no respect for frontiersmen. No respect for anyone, but your herbs.

  • @MartinPHellwig
    @MartinPHellwig 6 лет назад +41

    Looking dapper Jon! Enjoyed this format quite a lot, thank you!

  • @WaltzingAustralia
    @WaltzingAustralia 6 лет назад +3

    I definitely want to get to Conner Prairie next summer. Looks wonderful. I was particularly interested to see how many of the remedies offered are ones that are still valued -- such as feverfew, which can prevent migraines, and white willow bark, which is pretty much the same thing as aspirin. Of course, much of our modern medicine is based on plant essences, so I guess it shouldn't be too surprising -- but still fun to be reminded that there was much wisdom in the past.

    • @andrewwilliam363
      @andrewwilliam363 2 года назад

      Very lovely and beautiful presentation, hi how are you doing!

  • @alvinmeeks7710
    @alvinmeeks7710 4 года назад +2

    Mrs Armstrong reminded me of my grandmother, Lord knows how I miss her. Wished i har kept my mouth shut and my ears open when she tried to teach mountain medicine to me

  • @mitchthegamingidiot3516
    @mitchthegamingidiot3516 6 лет назад +95

    This is for those that wish to actually use some of this information.
    Willow bark tea is a great way to get the pain relief properties from the bark, which contains the salicin, which is an early form of aspirin.
    Chicory is edible and very tasty as well as being a sort of antacid.
    Cherry bark works the same way as willow and has, as you would expect, a cherry flavor.
    Be very careful when looking for yarrow, as ground Hemlock looks very similar and is the same type of poison that was used to kill socrates.
    You can use Pine needles to eat for a source of Vitamin C, and use it for colds as well.

    • @annettefournier9655
      @annettefournier9655 6 лет назад +9

      MitchTheGamingIdiot Make sure the pine needles are actual needles and not flat as hemlock is an evergreen. That would be bad.

    • @Ultracity6060
      @Ultracity6060 6 лет назад +10

      Using pine needles for pine tea is pretty popular, too. And it's good to exercise a bit of caution with cherry bark, because actual cherry wood can be toxic.

    • @keetrandling4530
      @keetrandling4530 6 лет назад +4

      Yes, good information there, nicely rounded out with details. In middle school, one science lab we prepared rudimentary aspirin from willow bark. I didn't know about plantain, though - been picking it outta the lawn for years!

    • @annettefournier9655
      @annettefournier9655 6 лет назад +3

      Keet Randling Awww. Leave the poor plantain alone. I love weeds. So useful 😘😘😘😘

    • @cbsboyer
      @cbsboyer 6 лет назад +7

      Young pine and spruce buds are a great substitute for rosemary and hops. I've had a pine beer or two and they are excellent, and I've cooked with spruce buds a few times.
      The white inner bark of pine trees is rich in vitamin C and has been historically used as survival food when there is nothing else. Having tasted it, my opinion is that there is a very good reason it's "survival food when there is nothing else".
      Birch buds make a good tea for arthritis because the compounds in it that make the wintergreen flavour turn into salicin during digestion.
      Wintergreen makes an excellent tea for aches and is also good to chew during a hike. The leaves are extremely tough and indigestible , so it's best not to swallow them.
      Pineapple weed (tiny plant that looks a bit like chamomile) has a lovely sweet smell and keeps the bugs away...as much as anything not DEET keeps bugs away...

  • @adellaadams8018
    @adellaadams8018 6 лет назад +4

    I am a nurse and Certified Herbalist. This was so interesting to me as everything mentioned is listed in my resource books. I have had no experience with most of them as they are not used today. I am so glad that you made the disclaimer at first. I use herbs for palliative care only.

    • @garlicgirl3149
      @garlicgirl3149 6 лет назад +1

      My hero! That is what I would like to do!

    • @adellaadams8018
      @adellaadams8018 6 лет назад +1

      I took a 30 hr. course through a nursing school and then passed some tests for certification after studying several books. I wish you well.

    • @swissmiss2584
      @swissmiss2584 5 лет назад

      You are a person with a certificate of completion of an herbal class. There is no such thing as a certified herbalist. That’s made up. Now, a clinical herbalist is different. It’s an herbalist that has gone through 2+ years of clinical classes for herbalism. I’m working towards becoming a clinical herbalist so I can work with people.
      It’s a shame that you haven’t used some, if not most of the herbs that were mentioned. I’ve used most of them for many years now and make herbal tinctures and tea blends to help my family and myself when we are sick.

    • @swissmiss2584
      @swissmiss2584 5 лет назад

      Oh and many of these are still used today.

    • @andrewwilliam363
      @andrewwilliam363 2 года назад

      Very lovely and beautiful presentation, hi how are you!

  • @anneirenej
    @anneirenej 6 лет назад +5

    Lemon balm tea 2 cups per day is excellent for anxiety. It takes about two weeks for it to be fully effective. Bonus it will not. E hard on your liver.

  • @annakeye
    @annakeye 6 лет назад +10

    *+Townsends*
    As a relatively new subscriber, I'm slowly watching each episode, a lot out of order. I loved this because here in New Zealand, the colonisers (predominently English) had similar issues as our North American counterparts. The indigenous/native people - the Maori, could be compared to the Native North Americans in many ways. Though there are significant differences. Maori had many native/indigenous plants that are experiencing somewhat of a renaissance of use, including in modern cuisine and medicine. Many of the plants including those mentioned in this video, are those that the colonists brought here, with mixed and in some case, catastrophic results. One example being _gorse_ which was brought to create hedgerow fencing as they had in the cooler climates of large areas of the British Isles.The more temperate and fertile landmass of New Zealand resulted in gorse very quickly invading the native forests and growing out of control. Along with the species that were introduced. Pinus radiata being one other invasive plant species. Some animal and insect species, introduced both intentionally and non-intentionally such as german paper wasps, rabbit, various species of deer, possum, weasel, stoat and of course, rats that came with the Maori colonisers on their waka (canoe). This resulted in the absolute decimation and devastation of much of the native bird life, many that had evolved to not fly, as they had no serious predators, least of all mammals.
    Thanks so much for having me consider what colonisalism of another large landmass meant to those that lived through it. I'm trying to imagine an invading force arriving here now, and we who've always known New Zealand as home, would cope with the strangers who've chosen (or made) to call these lovely islands their home.

  • @JoeDutchman
    @JoeDutchman 2 года назад +1

    Dear Mr. Townsend, I find your press to be most delightful and shall look forward to hearing of your experiences. Truly you are a treasured member of the the community. Best Regards, JD

  • @ZemplinTemplar
    @ZemplinTemplar 6 лет назад +36

    Glad you gave the disclaimer. It's true one needs to be careful when examining these period medical recipes.

    • @TheBaconWizard
      @TheBaconWizard 6 лет назад +6

      Yeah, the ones the Mrs Armstrong spoke about are all good, but the Cullpepper book is not at all reliable

    • @kingjames4886
      @kingjames4886 6 лет назад +1

      and then went on to only outline weak medicines that you basically can't go wrong with... if it's strong enough to be effective it's strong enough to hurt you and none of these are.

    • @swissmiss2584
      @swissmiss2584 5 лет назад +4

      king james488 as an herbalist, I strongly disagree. There are many herbs that are considered safe for all and are very effective medicine. Mullein leaf for one is very safe and is very effective for loosening chest congestion.

    • @ofpine
      @ofpine 4 года назад +2

      as an herbalist as well, these are very healthy and beneficial, the disclaimer is so nobody gets sued basically.

  • @jimivey6462
    @jimivey6462 6 лет назад +3

    Recently I have been studying healthy foods and healing herbs and spices. Everything this lady proposed is being proposed today. Those at the forefront of modern medicine have taken a giant step backwards utilizing this knowledge and their patients are all the better for it.

  • @lesahanners5057
    @lesahanners5057 6 лет назад +12

    Thanks so much for another interesting trip to Conner Prairie. It was great of you to share what plants they were using historically and also good you put in a disclaimer. 'Cause sure as you live and breath someone would go out and pick a weed, get sick and want to sue you.
    My grt. grandmother was a healer and midwife and used many of these very herbs in her poultices and tea's. She lived through the 1918 influenza epidemic, while living in Oklahoma, and saved many lives using her own recipes for compounds to help combat the virus. It is to her credit that she did not lose a single patient under her care during the epidemic. The doctors in the town could not say the same. Her healing methods have come down in my family and while she never advocated not going to see a doctor, she did believe that using natural healing methods could heal in many instances, when other means and methods were lacking.

    • @truthgha
      @truthgha 10 месяцев назад

      What did she use? Your grandmother. Share your families info. Thanks

  • @kelpylee
    @kelpylee 6 лет назад +48

    Please do more videos in first person? This was absolutely wonderful to watch.

  • @jacksparrowismydaddy
    @jacksparrowismydaddy 6 лет назад +41

    we use the plantain leaves to cure insect bites. you break the leaf up and rub it in. I've gone 4 summers with out a breakout thanks to it.

  • @simplychristal6526
    @simplychristal6526 6 лет назад +4

    I love watching these videos with the first person actors! I have been studying herbal remedies and learned something from watching this as well. Thank you for sharing!

  • @HearthandSickle
    @HearthandSickle 6 лет назад +7

    This was wonderful. It's fun to see Jon get into the first person along with her. Bravo sir.

  • @Samidooble
    @Samidooble 6 лет назад +2

    Oh I LOVE this! This is the reason I’m so into the 18th century cooking. Using what’s around you to survive. Thank you!

    • @andrewwilliam363
      @andrewwilliam363 2 года назад +1

      Very lovely and beautiful presentation, hi how are you doing!

  • @squttnbear
    @squttnbear 6 лет назад +14

    Jon, I've been following this channel for a good while now and have loved every episode, but I think I have a new favorite. Thank you for this!

  • @YT4Me57
    @YT4Me57 6 лет назад +4

    This lady would have been the first person I'd run to back in those days if I had any kind of ailment!

  • @jenniferdsouza-dowhatyoulike
    @jenniferdsouza-dowhatyoulike 4 года назад +2

    Please start selling these plants organic seeds on your website soon!
    Love your videos :)

  • @TheGreatGodPan
    @TheGreatGodPan 6 лет назад +11

    red clover is everywhere and makes a really nice borage/cucumber-flavoured snack. I knew it had a lot of uses, I didn't know it was good for colds so I need to look into the different ways of using it and if it makes a good tea. As one of the Anglo-Saxon sacred herbs I definitely need to make use of plantain more. The seeds look worth using too. Yarrow is I believe also good for colds, or early symptoms of cold or flu, as well as treating wounds. I often make a winter tea consisting of rosehip, nettle, yarrow and honey as a medicinal tea for colds. I can't pretend I like the taste of yarrow all that much though, it does have a bitter medicinal taste.

  • @richmikesell7166
    @richmikesell7166 6 лет назад +8

    What a terrific episode! I could go on listening and learning about medicinal herbs for a long time. Thanks so much for this video!!!

  • @ravenpineshomestead
    @ravenpineshomestead 4 года назад +2

    i personally use a thyme tincture when I start to develop a cough or sore throat, the vodka and thyme oil is a double whamy lol

  • @bithiahm444
    @bithiahm444 6 лет назад

    I can't express enough my delight in this channel and in this particular program. Thank you ever so much!

  • @MustachMike
    @MustachMike 6 лет назад +5

    Excellent as Allways! Spirited, clean, informative.

  • @KarenParkerArtist
    @KarenParkerArtist 6 лет назад +3

    Good episode. We use a lot of her basic recipes. Interesting how the effective simplicity stands the test of time. The masticated plantain really does work to quell a bee or wasp sting. Everybody in the household, plus a few friends have resorted to it out here at the Yarden.

  • @orion246810
    @orion246810 6 лет назад +18

    Great Episode, I was wondering if you would bring back your "Townsend's Traveling Physician" to your Catalog.

  • @disco0752
    @disco0752 6 лет назад +2

    The herbal lady is indeed quite knowledgeable not only with herbs but oils as well. Here in town, we have a vast array of third world herbalists and in Virginia we still have grandma herbalists. I myself have dappled in the art of herb ology(?) involving plants from as far away as South and Central America. I agree with the others that Jon is looking quite spritely and well tailored. I dare say he could wear those fine cloths in town and be admired by many.

  • @kareningram6093
    @kareningram6093 6 лет назад

    You always find new and interesting things to show us! Thank you. This is a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of people back then. And it's so cool to read the comments and see how many people still use some of these plants!

  • @emfen
    @emfen 2 года назад +1

    I have a salve I made from plantain at home, it's actually very powerful. I've used it for friction burns and rashes, my mother said it works well as a night cream for eczema. Very awesome episode on herbalism, makes me happy to watch. :)

  • @kaylinschatzer3237
    @kaylinschatzer3237 6 лет назад

    I just want to say I love these first person videos! There is something so charming about seeing John interact with these people as if they were in the time period. The ''traveling north'' frame story is nice touch, too. It all makes me smile. Can't wait for the next one!

  • @kaylaantonio6460
    @kaylaantonio6460 Год назад +1

    I just want to say that I’ve been waiting for more of this kind of content from Townsends!!! What a great video ❤❤❤

  • @Ilistraful
    @Ilistraful 6 лет назад +2

    I'm so happy I found this channel, I absolutely love it! This was a wonderful episode, thanks so much for making these!

    • @andrewwilliam363
      @andrewwilliam363 2 года назад

      Very lovely and beautiful presentation, hi how are you doing!

  • @gileshanover1539
    @gileshanover1539 6 лет назад

    Excellent! Thanks Jon and Conner Prairie.

  • @patrickotte5982
    @patrickotte5982 2 года назад

    I love this! As a gardener, aspiring herbalist, and an avid history lover this was an amazing video to watch!! Absolutely fantastic

  • @Svafne
    @Svafne 2 года назад

    It's very charming when you and/or the person you talk to does it "in first person/in character"!

  • @lyrahah4688
    @lyrahah4688 6 лет назад

    I really enjoy these first person videos. And medicinal herbal vids are so helpful. This one I have bookmarked! Thanks to you all!

  • @ketogenicknowledge245
    @ketogenicknowledge245 5 лет назад +1

    Oh my God I love this.
    I've actually been there quite a few times in my youth. I want to go back SO badly. Love it in the Fall.

  • @itgetter9
    @itgetter9 4 года назад +1

    I love her! Her wisdom and her way with words are lovely.

  • @xander4043
    @xander4043 3 года назад +1

    This in character video is so amazing to watch! Please do more when you can!

  • @ricktalerico893
    @ricktalerico893 2 года назад

    Thank you for another fantastic episode. I have been to Connor Prairie and really enjoyed it. This was very educational.

  • @paulwolf2775
    @paulwolf2775 5 лет назад

    It's so wonderful to know that people still teach about these old herbs and flowers. Things , that most of us have forgotten. Thank you for doing what you do, n bringing this information.

  • @annew-mcmxli5857
    @annew-mcmxli5857 6 лет назад +1

    Hi John, Im a new viewer and really enjoy the history, you, Ivy and all your presentations! Thank you!

  • @lensperspective9753
    @lensperspective9753 6 лет назад +2

    A great video for perspective! Keep it up, fine people of the Townsends channel, on another binge episode

  • @hopeharvest6333
    @hopeharvest6333 6 лет назад

    I love this different format! Great job trying something new! Hope to see more experience videos in the future in addition to your already awesome collection! Way to go!

  • @DemonessofRedSnow
    @DemonessofRedSnow 7 месяцев назад

    I love that you went to Connor Prairie! Most people who grew up in that area have been there on a field trip. It’s so cool.

  • @sageandcandle
    @sageandcandle 6 лет назад +4

    Jewel Weed is great for bee stings. I was on a hike and walked face first ino a flying bee. The lady I was with grabbed jewel weed, crushed it, and put it on the sting. I pulled the toxin out and swelling went down.

    • @andrewwilliam363
      @andrewwilliam363 2 года назад +1

      Very lovely and beautiful presentation, hi how are you doing!

  • @57WillysCJ
    @57WillysCJ 6 лет назад +2

    I am surprised may apple wasn't reference unless I missed it under another name. Most rural people who lived through the Great Depression knew these and still used them.

    • @akinmytua4680
      @akinmytua4680 6 лет назад

      We called them Mayberries, but I know what you mean

  • @glorygloryholeallelujah
    @glorygloryholeallelujah 3 года назад +4

    You can tell he’s so excited he’s gunna pee!
    I’m sure they have an herb for that. 😆❤️

  • @christalborn77
    @christalborn77 4 года назад

    Conner Prairie is what my childhood dreams were made of. I literally follow your channel because of my experiences there as a child. So glad you did a show there!

  • @barlowoffgridhomestead357
    @barlowoffgridhomestead357 6 лет назад

    Enjoyed this episode Jon. Love the role playing part and info on herbal remedies of the past.

  • @toothpickstickerbananas4914
    @toothpickstickerbananas4914 5 лет назад

    Your going to blow up in subscriptions to your channel. I've subbed from the beginning and enjoyed every episode of the cooking series. Your a refuge from all the polotics and I thank you for your originality and uniqueness.

  • @Xarschia
    @Xarschia 6 лет назад

    More of this please. Much, much more! I've been doing living history/reenactments since before I was born (No, seriously.). This first-person narrative-style video is perfect for this channel.

  • @janpenland3686
    @janpenland3686 6 лет назад +3

    Thanks Jon. I have used every one of these herbs except for costmary. I can attest to the fact that they do indeed work well for me.

  • @audreyroberts4606
    @audreyroberts4606 6 лет назад

    One of my favorite videos ever. Loved the info and the delivery. Great job. Maybe one day Townsend could expand its product line to include some of the seeds and equipment seen here. I'd buy!

  • @metafuel
    @metafuel 6 лет назад

    So glad I landed up on this channel today. Subscribed with a massive grin on my face. Not sure I've ever binge watched ol' school medicine and cooking methods :) Jon rocks, as do all his guests

  • @ljb8157
    @ljb8157 4 года назад

    As a paramedic, I found this particular episode very interesting. I'm so happy I've stumbled across this channel!

  • @circusartist
    @circusartist 6 лет назад +1

    I always like watching your channel and learning to cook from it. I love this episode though because I study the old plant medicines from the Chumash Indians of Southern California. Thank you for doing this episode I now have more notes to add to my journal.

  • @ebonylandrum6071
    @ebonylandrum6071 4 года назад

    Who could ever thumbs down your videos? They are so awesome!

  • @Heather.C.ButterflySage
    @Heather.C.ButterflySage 3 года назад

    I loved this episode of The Townsends! So good.

  • @nasdilemactyler1939
    @nasdilemactyler1939 2 года назад

    Growing up I visited this place a couple of times. Even if you're not one for history it is a blast to visit. The living history there is just something else!

  • @Nuthin141
    @Nuthin141 6 лет назад

    Something very nostalgic and calming about this video that makes it seem so otherworldly... really great episode :)

    • @cap4life1
      @cap4life1 6 лет назад

      Nuthin141 the woman's voice is making you feel that way. She fits the part so well!

  • @janecollette9504
    @janecollette9504 6 лет назад

    I loved this episode, it was very enjoyable to watch. I've always thought learning about herbs to be very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

  • @theepicpeguin
    @theepicpeguin 6 лет назад

    My gosh I can never keep the composure such as mr. Townsend for role play. I certainly respect that aspect of his!

  • @janicemartin1580
    @janicemartin1580 6 лет назад

    Wonderful episode. I've used plantain for years for an assortment of ailments. It's super helpful for toothaches. Earlier this year, I got 5 yellow jacket stings, immediately grabbed plantain out of garden, chewed leaves & covered the rapidly swelling wrist. Soothed the sting & pain quickly. Most of swelling & purple discoloration gone in about 4 hours. Reapplied at night. Next day. Only very slight tenderness. I know 2 people who used it on black widow bites successfully.
    Lavender is incredible to use on burns. My friend is cook in retirement home and gets burned all to often. Her go to remedy is lavender.

  • @gaslightstudiosrebooted3432
    @gaslightstudiosrebooted3432 6 лет назад +11

    I am a living historian and amateur filmmaker. That aside, what level authenticity would you like to see in historical films? As a second question, are there any stories from history that you would like told? I would gladly make one for you. This is one of my favorite channels.
    Thanks a lot for the recipes and advice!

    • @MrKmoconne
      @MrKmoconne 6 лет назад +3

      What I don't like to see are careless anachronisms in a historical film. That means objects that don't belong in the era being portrayed. For instance, Jon's top hat he wore today, would not have been worn in 1790. A film maker doesn't need a degree in history to get the costumes and setting right, just some basic research that can usually be accomplished with a trip to the library. Not paying attention to the details implies carelessness for the film project.

    • @jasonbagley8706
      @jasonbagley8706 6 лет назад +3

      1790? You must have missed that part about 1836.

  • @lauriemclean1131
    @lauriemclean1131 6 лет назад +1

    Great information. People are once again recognizing the way these herbs can be used.

  • @tselea
    @tselea 3 года назад

    I adore Conner Prarie! It was such an enjoyable experience when we visited (loved the hatchet throwing). First person 'experiences' sure make it come to life!

  • @kilsya1392
    @kilsya1392 6 лет назад

    Great episode! It got me thinking have you ever been to Sturbridge Village up here in MA? I feel like I remember you saying that you had but I don't remember for sure. I only went there a few times as a kid and I've been meaning to go back since. Anyways loved this episode just as much as the traditional cooking episodes, it's really cool to see you do things in character at places like this. Look forward to the next video as always!

  • @annanovoa7662
    @annanovoa7662 6 лет назад

    As a herbalist i found this episode super interesting and very enjoyable!
    Thank you for doing one about herbs! Believe it or not many of the uses for each plant are still the same way we apply them today.

  • @kil2250
    @kil2250 6 лет назад

    wonderful episode. More!

  • @cherylynngatiuan9536
    @cherylynngatiuan9536 6 лет назад

    Loved this episode!!

  • @williamdowdy8846
    @williamdowdy8846 3 года назад

    You nailed this one brother. Awesome.

  • @AmusedToast
    @AmusedToast 6 лет назад

    I absolutely loved this video! Looking spiffy Jon!

  • @nancypine9952
    @nancypine9952 6 лет назад +1

    An excellent episode. Thank you.

  • @Slagtheangry
    @Slagtheangry 6 лет назад

    This was a great video and loved how it was in character. One thing that struck me as interesting was the mention of using honey as a way of improving the taste of the drink.
    I was thinking it could be neat to look into 17-18th century beekeeping and honey harvesting.
    Thanks for all the informative content!