VALERIAN

The underground portion of valerian (valeriana officinalis), also called the garden heliotrope, has been used medicinally for centuries. Around 50 A.D.it was mentioned by the author and naturalist Pliny the Elder as a treatment for nervous contractions. Other Roman and Greek physicians used it as a diuretic, an analgesic, for insomnia and as a treatment for coughs and asthma. It has an acrid odor that many people find disagreeable but seems to excite cats and some other animals. According to legend the Pied Piper used Valerian along with his music to lure the rats from Hamlin.

Early American settlers included Valerian in their medicinal herb gardens and it can still be found growing wild around some of the sites of the first settlements. During World War I, European soldiers and civilians with “overwrought nerves” from the extensive artillery shelling used Valerian for its calming effects. Valerian was included in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1890 to 1942 and the National Formulary from 1942 to 1950. It is still included in pharmacopeias throughout Europe. today, Valarian is widely used in Europe as a sedative with about 50 tons of it being sold annually in France alone. It can be used by itself but often it is found in combination with other herbs such as chamomile or hops.