{"title":"Botany \u0026 Natural History","description":"\u003cp\u003eA collection of early botanical studies, natural histories and observations of the living world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart of the Hearthwise Historical Library, curated by Hearthwise Physic.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"digital-product-5","title":"American Medicinal Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds (c. 1913) - Alice Henkel.","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAmerican Medicinal Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds (1913)\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Alice Henkel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBulletin No. 26, United States Department of Agriculture · Bureau of Plant Industry\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA fascinating illustrated glimpse into the medicinal plant trade of early twentieth-century America, from fragrant linden blossoms and juniper berries to the dangerous seeds of poison hemlock and thorn apple.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublished in December 1913, this historical botanical bulletin documents thirteen plants whose flowers, fruits or seeds were gathered and sold for medicinal purposes. Alice Henkel records their identifying features, habitats, traditional uses, harvesting and drying methods, and the wholesale prices paid by drug dealers of the period.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInside this illustrated historical guide:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePractical advice from 1913 on collecting, drying, preserving and marketing medicinal flowers, fruits and seeds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBotanical descriptions and illustrations to accompany the plants discussed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJuniper berries, saw palmetto, American wormseed and pokeweed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlack and white mustard, raspberries, prickly ash and smooth sumac.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmerican linden flowers, poison hemlock and jimson weed (thorn apple).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical medicinal uses, pharmacy standards and wholesale market prices.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eEspecially intriguing is the contrast between familiar botanical remedies and highly poisonous plants that once circulated in the pharmaceutical trade. The bulletin also offers a rare view of the economics of herbal gathering over a century ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn engaging primary source for herbalists, botanical historians, foragers and readers interested in the history of the apothecary, medicinal plant commerce and traditional American materia medica.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Ancestral Library | Hearthwise Herbals\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarefully presented as a historical reference for education and research. Descriptions of medicinal uses reflect practices and beliefs recorded in 1913, not current medical guidance. Some plants discussed are extremely poisonous; do not use this publication as an identification or treatment manual.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDigital historical facsimile · English · Originally published 1913 · Illustrated · 22-page cleaned PDF.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hearthwise Herbals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64200185053514,"sku":null,"price":2.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1088\/9940\/2058\/files\/Screenshot2026-11-02202955.png?v=1793651548"},{"product_id":"digital-product-20","title":"Contributions towards the Materia Medica \u0026 Natural History of China (c. 1871) - Frederick Porter Smith","description":"\u003ch2\u003eContributions towards the Materia Medica \u0026amp; Natural History of China\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrederick Porter Smith | First published 1871 | Historical digital facsimile (PDF)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStep inside a nineteenth-century cabinet of curiosities, where medicinal plants, mineral substances, animal lore and the traditions of Chinese materia medica meet the observations of a Victorian medical missionary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by Frederick Porter Smith for medical missionaries and native medical students, this remarkable historical reference gathers names, descriptions, preparations and reported uses of natural substances encountered in China. From aromatic woods and familiar herbs to curious mineral remedies and extraordinary animal folklore, its entries offer a fascinating glimpse into the meeting of different medical traditions in 1871.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eInside this historical volume\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlphabetically arranged entries on plants, minerals and other substances associated with Chinese materia medica\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical descriptions of botanical names, trade, cultivation, preparation and reported medicinal applications\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnusual observations and beliefs that illuminate the natural history and medical thinking of the period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA valuable primary source for students of herbal history, traditional medicine, botanical folklore and nineteenth-century cross-cultural encounters\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEspecially intriguing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Smith records curious claims about borax and intoxication, and describes camphor in contexts ranging from perfumery and insects to fireworks. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePublication details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Frederick Porter Smith, M.B.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal publication:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shanghai, American Presbyterian Mission Press, 1871\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Downloadable historical PDF facsimile\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCollection:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Ancestral Library\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImportant:\u003c\/strong\u003e This is a historical source, not a modern herbal medicine guide. It contains obsolete medical claims, outdated terminology and references to substances or practices that may be unsafe or toxic. Its descriptions should be understood in their nineteenth-century context and must not be used as instructions for self-treatment, ingestion or preparation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA captivating piece of botanical and medical history, preserved for the curious reader and the modern keeper of old knowledge.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hearthwise Herbals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64208607543626,"sku":null,"price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1088\/9940\/2058\/files\/Screenshot2026-11-03155746.png?v=1793721907"}],"url":"https:\/\/hearthwiseherbals.com\/collections\/botany-natural-history.oembed","provider":"Hearthwise Herbals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}