Medicinal garden trancends time at Historic Yellow Springs

WEST PIKELAND — The first Revolutionary War hospital in the country — Washington Hall — was built in 1777 at the Yellow Springs spa, and during the winter of the Valley Forge Encampment many of the sickest soldiers went there to die.

Today, Chester County residents know the property as Historic Yellow Springs in West Pikeland, and while the original hospital no longer stands, themedicinal garden near the hospital ruins was completed in 1987.

“We don’t have any documentation that there was an herb garden here,” said Eileen McMonagle, executive director at Historic Yellow Springs. They do know that the medicine chests were sent there by all the army regiments. “They obviously had something here and … herbology was the medicine of the day. So I think we’ve got pretty good anecdotal evidence that there was an herb garden here.”

The Herb Society of America Philadelphia Unit maintains the garden, a partnership that started during the 200th year anniversary celebration of the Constitution in 1987. A few Yellow Springs board members, who were also members of the herb society, suggested Yellow Springs put in an herb garden with the ruins.

“The herb garden was a natural thing to do there, to interpret that medicine,” said archivist Sandra Momyer. And with the herb society, “it’s been a good relationship.”

Only medicinal plants that would have been used in the 18th century are in the garden today, many of which were taken from William Shippen’s lecture on herbs in 1765. Shippen was an anatomy professor at the College of Philadelphia and director general of military hospitals in 1777. But members of the society are always doing research to verify that the garden is historically accurate.

“One of my goals is to find mention of each herb in a couple of sources,” said Joanne Montowski, a member of the society who regularly tends to the garden at Yellow Springs.

The remnants of the Revolutionary War hospital near the Medicinal Herb Garden at Historic Yellow Springs in West Pikeland. (Photo by Vinny Tennis/Daily Local News)

Winterberry, used as a cathartic, an antiseptic, a tonic and an astringent, grows at the Medicinal Herb Garden at Historic Yellow Springs. (Photo by Vinny Tennis/Daily Local News)

Tansy, used to treat bruises, sprains, somachaches, and used as a vermifuge and insecticide grows at the Medicinal Herb Garden at Historic Yellow Springs. (Photo by Vinny Tennis/Daily Local News)

Borage, used to treat heart ailments, and as a diuretic and soothing ointment, grows at the Medicinal Herb Garden at Historic Yellow Springs. (Photo by Vinny Tennis/Daily Local News)

Pot Marigold was use to treat chronic ulcers and as a stimulant and laxative. (Photo by Vinny Tennis/Daily Local News)

Texto:  Chelsea M. Reyher

Data: 08.10.2012

Link:

http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121008/LIFE05/121009452/medicinal-garden-trancends-time-at-historic-yellow-springs