Ernst Theodore Stuhr Papers, 1928-1956
The Ernst Thedore Stuhr Papers document Stuhr's research and writing on medicinal plants and the pharmacy profession. Stuhr served on the faculty of the Oregon State College School of Pharmacy from 1927 to 1944. Publications and papers include journal reprints; copies of Stuhr's book, Manual of Pacific Coast Drug Plants; and copies of papers presented at meetings. Series four includes conference proceedings and programs. Stuhr served on the faculty of the Oregon State College (OSC) School of Pharmacy from 1927 to 1944 as Assistant Professor of Pharmacy (1927-1930) and Associate Professor (1930-1944) of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy. His major area of research, medicinal plants, was reflected in the many articles that he wrote for scholarly and trade journals.

F. A. Gilfillan Papers, 1894-1984
The F. A. Gilfillan Papers are comprised of materials generated and assembled by Francois Archibald Gilfillan, Dean of the School of Science at OSU from 1939 to 1962. The collection includes professional and family correspondence, administrative documents from OSU and other educational organizations, and materials documenting Gilfillan’s work as a public school teacher, member of the U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Service, and Oregon State faculty member and administrator. Box-Folder 21.4: Speech: "Herbal Exhibit", 1959 discusses his rare book acquisitions.

Early Written Word Collection, 2046 BCE - 1837
This collection contains leaves separated from bound manuscripts and printed texts. Box-Item 5.39: Printed leaf from Gerard's Herball, 1633.

Collection of Individual Manuscript Items, 1777-1945
The Collection of Individual Manuscript Items is an artifical collection of handwritten and typed manuscripts pulled together from a number of miscellaneous sources. The provenance of many items is unknown. Box-Folder 1.14: Recipe for Read's Tonic, by Charles Read, circa 1800-1850

Irwin Stone Papers, 1902-1984
Irwin Stone was a biochemist and chemical engineer who was known for his groundbreaking research on ascorbic acid, more commonly known as Vitamin C. He championed the use of Vitamin C for food preservation and human health throughout his career, influencing how Vitamin C was used by nutritionists, biochemists, medical professionals, and the pharmaceutical industry. Series 2 Correspondence and Professional Files, and Series 3: Speeches and Publications both have references to plants as medicine.

Theodore Rockwell Papers, 1915-2013
The Theodore Rockwell Papers document the life and career of Ted Rockwell, a member of the Manhattan Project, technical director for the U.S. Navy's nuclear propulsion initiative under Admiral H. G. Rickover, and co-founder of engineering firm MPR Associates, Inc. and nuclear advocacy group Radiation, Science, and Health, Inc. Series 8: Parapsychology contains Box-Folder 63.4: Dietary Supplements and Herbal Remedies, 1973-1983.

James R. Sedell Papers, 1819-2011
Sedell was a researcher at Oregon State University, focusing on stream ecosystem research in the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest, who also held positions at Weyerhaeuser Co., the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest and Southwest Research Stations, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Series 12, Sub-series 2: Personal Material contains Box-Folder 61.74: Herbal Remedies, 2006-2007.

Botanic medicine is a particular strength of the rare book collections at OSU. The evolution of botanical knowledge and the application to medicine is covered in a broad range of examples from the 16th to the 20th century, including highlights from scientific advancements in the field as well as the cultural and historical contexts in which these works were produced. These works can also be crucial to examining how knowledge of medicinal plants evolved over time and across different regions.

Keywords: Herbals, Materia medica, Medicinal plants, Medicine, Botanic, Botany, Medical, Botany - Early works to 1800, Therapeutic use, Pharmacy Patent medicines, Almanacs, Flora, Botan*

Herbals

During the 15th-17th centuries, herbals played a crucial role in documenting plant species and their medicinal uses. Our earliest herbal is a facsimile of a 15th century French manuscript Livres des simples medicines. Early herbals include French (1557) and English (1578) editions of Rembert Dodoens' History of plants and Girolamo Ruscelli's The secretes of the Reuerende Maister Alexis of Piedmont (1562). OSU holds the revised and expanded 1636 edition of Gerard’s famous herbal, which became a standard reference work for a century to come. Parkinson’s Theatrum botanicum describes about 1000 more plants than Gerard, and includes many species not previous recorded. William Salmon’s 1710 Botanologia is known as the last of the great European herbals, but new herbals would be produced still for centuries to come.

These 16th and 17th century herbals reflect the global exchange of botanical knowledge during this time, as colonists and explorers brought back newly discovered plant species from remote locations. The detailed woodcuts in these volumes not only served as essential visual reference, but also helped disseminate this information to new readers. Many of these OSU’s herbals include contemporary marginalia and annotations, giving a glimpse into how readers interacted with these books.

Indigenous Knowledge

Francisco Hernández interviewed native Mexican peoples about their uses and applications of plants, and recorded these in his Rerum medicarum Novae Hispaniae (1651). Humphrey Marshall wrote the first book on American trees, Arbustrum Americanum in 1785, and included “some hints of their uses in medicine” as reported by native Americans. The polymath and explorer Constantine Rafinesque also include native knowledge in his self-published Medical Flora, or Manual of the medical botany of the United States of North America. J. W. Cooper affiliated himself with indigenous knowledge in 140 with his The experienced botanist or Indian physician, but it is unknown whether he had direct contact with native practitioners. 

Home Health

In addition to scientific works, the 18th and 19th centuries saw the publication of popular medical guides that made herbal medicine accessible to the general public. By providing practical information on the preparation and use of herbal remedies, these guides empowered individuals to take charge of their own health using locally available plants.

Nicholas Culpeper's The English physician enlarged (1785) is a prime example of this trend. Culpeper's work includes descriptions of 369 medicines made from English herbs, highlighting the democratization of medical knowledge across classes. Other examples include Samuel Thomson’s New Guide to Health, or Botanic family physician (1832) and Thomsonian Botanic Watchman (1834); O. Phelps Brown’s The complete herbalist, or the people their own physicians (1867); and The Occult Family Physician and Botanic Guide to Health (1894). 

Some of these guides reflect American health movements of the time such as homeopathy. Examples of these guides in the collection fall off in the 20th century as modern western medicine formalizes; however, the same trend is picked up in the middle 20th century with titles from the Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Library such as Using plants for healing: An American herbal (1963) and Be your own doctor: let living food be your medicine (1975).

Regional Flora

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the collection reflects a growing interest in regional flora and the integration of botanical medicine into broader medical practices.  This period saw an increased focus on the medicinal properties of plants native to specific regions, as well as the incorporation of botanical knowledge into mainstream medicine. Ernst T. Stuhr's works on medicinal plants of various U.S. regions (1928-1933) illustrate this trend. Stuhr's detailed descriptions of medicinal plants from regions such as Florida, Nebraska, and the Pacific Coast highlight the regional diversity of botanical medicine in the United States. Stuhr’s Manual of Pacific coast drug plants (1929) was a standard reference work for this area for decades.

  Oregon Digital

     Results (limited to OSU) for herbal, medicinal plants, medical botany
     Including university publications, photographs, and reports.

  Scholars Archive

    Results for herbal, medicinal plants, medical botany
    University-produced scholarship, such as theses and dissertations.