Healthy Perspective: A Salute to Pioneer Herbalism

In Utah, where I live, July 24 is Pioneer Day. It celebrates the arrival of the first wagon trains of pioneers into the Salt Lake valley in 1847. I'm a descendent of some of those first Utah settlers. 

These early settlers primarily relied on "herb and root" doctors, trained through Samuel Thomson's New Guide to Health on how to use plants for healing. There were hardly any regular doctors in pioneer Utah. One of those pioneer herbal doctors, Priddy Meeks, lived in the area where I now reside and what remains of his home is visible on the freeway as I drive into town to work each day.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to those early pioneer herbalists as they laid the groundwork that eventually made Utah the silicon valley of the herb and supplement industry. On a more personal level, it was learning about the Thomsonian system they used that helped me learn how to use herbs effectively. 

So, in this Healthy Perspective webinar, which was broadcast on July 24, I pay tribute to these pioneer herbalists and share some of their ideas, remedies, and wisdom with you.