SC - Horror tales and happy endings

[Kiriel & Chris]

Jin Liu Ch'ang here:

Cariodoc/David worte
>According to my dictionary, there are two varieties of sassfras tree, >one from North American and one from China. What is the evidence >that something made from one of them was drunk in period?

Sassafras is new world but it is an herb which was quickly taken up by Europeans possibly due to their foreknowledge of the plant because of its close Chinese relative.   It should be noted, hwoever, that the plant is mostly mentioned for its medicinal properties rather than its use as a beverage.

The one period document that I have on my book shelves which mentions sassafras is Harriot (1590 edition) which has in the chapter listing merchantable commodities a section entitled "Sassafras" which states: 
" Sassafras, called by the inhabitants Winauk, a kinde of wood of most pleasand and sweete smel; and of most rare vertues in phisick for the cure of many diseases.  It is found by experience to bee farre better and of more uses then the wood which is called Guaiacum, or Lignu vitae.  For the description of using and the manifolde vertues thereof, I referre you to the book of Monardus, translated and entituled in English, The ioyfull newes from the West Indies."
My memory (meaning I can not find my copy of the book I believe was called Richard Hakluyt's "Principal navigations") is that the other reports of the area now called eastern North Carolina describe the explorers eating the leaves in a soup in a manner much as the cajuns use it as filet but only because they were starving.  In any case the plant was well known to the explorers prior to their coming to the new world and apparently already of commercial importance otherwise they would not have mentioned it so prominently in the book.

It is also used in one mead recipe in Kenelme Digbie (1669).
Other mentions of its importance in the time period close to 1600 are:

M. Grieve (1931) states "The name 'Sassafras', applied by the Spanish botanist Monardes in the 16th century, is said to be a corruption of the Spanish word for saxifrage."  Later she states "The tree, which has berries like those of cinnamon, appears to have been cultivated in England some centuries ago, for in 1633 Johnston wrote:'I have given the figure of a branch taken from a little sassafras tree which grew in the garden of Mr. Wilmot at Bon.'  Probably it was discovered by the Spaniards in Florida, for seventy years earlier there is mention of the reputation of its roots in Spain as a cure for syphilis, rheumatism, etc., though its efficacy has since been much disputed."

Hylton (1974) wrote that "Columbus is said to have sensed the nearness of land from the strong smell of sassafras.  Its formal discovery is generally attriburted to the Spaniards exploring Florida.  The tree and tales of its values learned from Indians were carried to Eurpoe.  Ultimately, sassafras became one of the first commercial exports from the new land."

Grieve, M. 1931. A modern herbal .... Dover Publications, Inc., New York.

Harriot, Thomas. 1590. A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia.

Hylton, W. H. (ed.). 1974. The Rodale herb book. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA.

Jin Liu Ch'ang
a.k.a. Norman White
email: gn-white at tamu.edu
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