The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries brought the discovery of new plants from the Americas. A major problem faced by the English colonies was simply keeping the settlers alive. There were few physicians in the New World, so medical responsibilities often fell on religious leaders, public officials, or the head of the household. Apothecaries served as a kind of doctor. They made house calls, and prepared and prescribed medicine. Most attained their knowledge of medicine through apprenticeships, and some were even trained as surgeons and male midwives. A year after settling Jamestown, there were only two apothecaries in Virginia, so many doctors were forced to be their own apothecary.
Although the new colonies often used English remedies, they quickly discovered the expense of relying on imported drugs and began to create medicines using local plants s
uch as papoose root, Indian Mallow, and Snakeroot (Gill, 1972).
The English were very interested in new American remedies such as tumeric, snakeroot, bayberry and tobacco. In 1602, the first crop export was sent back to England by Sir Walter Raleigh (Cowhen, 1976). The shipment included Sassafras tree, China root, Sarsasparilla and Cassia linga. Sassafras gained popularity with the English people almost immediately creating a "Sassafras Rush" that lasted into the 1620's when the tree was found to be useless medicinally.
Medical care was better in French and Spanish Louisiana because the colony had first been settled as a military outpost. Surgeons and medical supplies had accompanied early settlers, and plants such as juniper and chamomile were grown for their medicinal extracts.