When winter winds brought aches and pains, our first First Lady's medicine chest was most likely stocked with medicinal herbs grown in her garden at Mount Vernon. Familiar staples would have included herbs familiar to people of the day:

Herb	used to
Calendula	relieve muscle spasm, treat sores
English ivy	ease colds, diarrhea, gastritis
Garlic	treat intestinal parasites, menstruation difficulties, snake and spider bite
Horseradish	kill parasites, treat sciatica
Lavender	ease headache, encourage sleep
Mint	soothe stomach ache, treat colic
Nasturtium	treat respiratory and urinary tract infections
Rhubarb	kill parasites, laxative
Roses	improve digestion, ease headaches
Thyme	prevent wound infection, treat respiratory ailments

You can tour Mount Vernon, which looks as it did in 1799, the year Washington died. For information, write the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, PO Box 110, Mt. Vernon VA 22121. Or you can take a virtual tour of the grounds by checking in here.