American plant called black haw is a native of American continent. This is believed as something that has been traditionally used in preparing numerous kinds of herbal remedies and was also a food source of the early Native Americans although there is scarce documentation to support these beliefs.
Black haw is a kind of shrub or correctly a type of tiny deciduous tree that reaches the height of 5 to 15 feet when it becomes fully mature. This plant is being characterized by the red brown bark as well as its grooved branches. This plant also has distinct flat-topped flowers of white and when in season, it bears a lot of shiny blue black berries which are extremely juicy and are being used in preparations of Native American foods.
As far as herbal literature is concerned, there are not that many details regarding the numerous remedial preparations and traditional foods that are being traditionally made using black haw by the people of Native America even though these preparations have been historically utilized in almost all parts of America. Also, although there is lack in documentation, one source stated that potentially curing venereal illnesses was assumed to have been done by the Native Americans by using remedial extract or herbal decoction made using boiled bark of black haw, yet this hypothetical historical use of this plant is still unconfirmed.
However, there are plenty of documentations regarding black haw’s myriad of uses as a traditional colonial home medicine in America. This is also presumed that early colonists have learnt the numerous uses of this plant from the Native Americans. It was in 1857 when the very first documented and published mention use of black haw has appeared in document even if it has been assumed that this plant might have probably been used widespread as home remedy dating back to 1800s. Black haw, being remedial plant, has been listed in 1882 in US Pharmacopeia directly because there has been an increase in the demand and use for this plant and due to repeated articles on this plant’s purported benefits in numerous pharmaceutical and medical journals of this era. This plant has been listed in U.S. Pharmacopeia until 1926 and this has remained a highly famous source of different home-based remedies for such a long time.
Traditionally, black haw has been utilized in numerous ways by Native Americans, with its stem being used for making baskets. Meanwhile, the berries are being made into some type of jam. Also, it has been believed that the plant can also boost fertility and in order to increase the ability of a slave woman in bearing more children, a lot of owners of Southern slaves used to force their women slaves into eating berries of black haw, with the idea to make them bear a lot more children. This assumed capacity of the herb in boosting the fertility of women has also been mentioned in an ancient clinical text known as Kings American Dispensatory. The 19th century medical text has been extensively utilized by the medical doctors during that era. In the said text, one group of doctors known as Eclectic movement has stated the numerous uses of this herb for boosting fertility and precluding abortion in the women. For the planters, it has been customary for compelling women slaves for drinking a black haw infusion every day while pregnant in order to put off abortion. This is why the plant has been believed to help in controlling fertility and women’s reproductive functions.
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