Monarda Materia Medica

The medicinal use of monarda was first developed by the American Indians. They also drank it for pleasure. The Oswego (or Otsego) tribe of New York taught English colonists how to brew a tea of monarda in the treatment of colds, coughs, and bronchitis; nausea; flatulence; colic; menstrual cramps; heart problems, and it became a very popular beverage. The Tewa tribe flavored meat with the leaves and treated headaches by rubbing dried monarda leaves on the forehead. The Winnebagos and Blackfoot treated pimples and other
skin eruptions with poultices prepared from boiled leaves.

As an herbal medicine, monarda is classified as being: analgesic, anti-emetic [controls vomiting], antiinflammatory, antiseptic (against fungi, bacteria and some parasites), carminative, diaphoretic (stimulates sweating), diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, sedative and stimulant.

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