The Indian practitioner probably distinguished the thrush mouth infection from common mouth sores and ulcers by the characteristic white patches commonly associated with thrush. Although goldthread was the most popular plant remedy for common mouth sores among both Indians and the early settlers, it was probably also used in treating thrush in children. Since this plant has been discussed elsewhere, it is not included in this section.
Geranium:
The Cherokees boiled geranium root together with wild grape, and with the liquid, rinsed the mouths of children affected with thrush. Geranium was also used by the Pillager Ojibwas to treat mouth ulcers.
This became a popular domestic remedy, and geranium is described as being an effective astringent that is useful in sore throat and mouth ulcers in the 23rd edition of the Dispensatory of the United States. The rhizome of this species was official in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1916 when it was used for its astringent properties.
Geranium, one of the most common native wild flowers, grows in clearings and open woods. Its hairy stem grows between one and two feet high and from April to June bears purple flowers.As with most botanicals collected for medicinal purposes, the roots are gathered in the fall when they are rich with constituents for the coming winter.
Persimmon:
Famous for its delicious fruits to those who live within the range of its growth, the persimmon was used by the Catawba Indians to cure thrush.
They stripped the bark from the tree and boiled it in water, utilizing the resulting dark liquid as a mouth rinse.
Persimmon was utilized in American medicine for its value as an astringent, and was an official drug in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1880 to 1882. The leaves, said to be high in vitamin C, are eaten by some people to prevent scurvy.
Rattlesnake Plantain:
The rattlesnake plantain herb, common to dry woods in the eastern United States, was favored by the Mohegans, who applied the mashed leaves to prevent thrush in infants.
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