If your grandmother treated her family with a "spring tonic" of sassafras tea, she wasn't alone in the practice. When the colonists came to America, Native Americans shared with them their many uses of sassafras (Sassafras albidum), a handsome tree with a deeply-furrowed, oily bark that to our modern noses smells like root beer. The bark, leaves, and roots were used to treat such ailments as rheumatism, diarrhea, colds, worms, and listlessness. Modern herbalists recommend it as a mouthwash, to reduce fever, and to treat skin problems, although it is no longer used to flavor root beer. To make your grandmother's spring tonic, dig up a few roots of a small red sassafras tree, scrub them, and cut to fit your pot. Cover with a quart of water and simmer until the water turns red (10-20 minutes-the longer you brew, the stronger the tea). Strain, sweeten, and enjoy.