American Root Drugs

This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design. This practical 1907 U.S. Department of Agriculture bulletin, written by Alice Henkel, opens a revealing window onto America's medicinal roots. Aimed at farmers, collectors, druggists, and students, it identifies commercially important root drugs found across the United States and explains how to recognize, harvest, dry, and market them for best value. Covering 50 of the most significant root drugs, the guide reaches far beyond familiar herbs to include roots, rootstocks, bulbs, and corms from native and introduced plants. Its pages blend botanical description, trade information, and brief medicinal notes, helping readers distinguish valuable species from dangerous lookalikes and understand why proper timing and careful preparation matter. From male-fern and couch-grass to wild turnip, skunk-cabbage, sweet-flag, black cohosh, Oregon grape, blue cohosh, twinleaf, May-apple, and Canada moonseed, the bulletin presents a richly illustrated field handbook of woodland, wetland, and meadow plants. Each entry emphasizes form, habitat, and traditional uses, making the book both a practical reference and a vivid survey of American herbal commerce.