Last night a friend of mine claimed that the Romans had a medicinal herb that was a nearly 100% effective contraceptive when taken daily, and that this herb was in such great demand that it became extinct. This seems unlikely to me, especially since the friend in question has a tendancy to spread wildly implausible urban legends.
Is there any truth to her claim? Anyone ever hear this one before?
Whodathunkit. She was right this time. You learn something new every day.
Not sure about a herb driven to extinction, but herbal contraceptives and abortificants have been around a while.
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/previous/taking_herbs.asp
It’s also interesting to note that our current hormonal contraceptive pill orignally derived from the Mexican yam.
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/tonysarticles/tbdid0103.html