Imagine my surprise when I found out about a Catholic herbalist named Maria Treben. I had never known that there was a Catholic herbalist, at least not in modern times, let alone one that wrote books about herbalism. Obviously, people have always used herbs no matter who they were, and there have been numerous references to herbs in the Bible. Maria Treben was born in the early 1900s and lived in Austria. She was well-known for her work among the people, her books were translated into several languages, and what started as a hobby for her grew into an occupation.
Her book Health from God’s Garden: Herbal Remedies for Glowing Health and Well-Being taught me tidbits about herbs that I had never heard elsewhere. For example, I had learned that various parts of the dandelion plant are edible and medicinal, but I had never considered the stem. She suggests to eat ten raw, fresh picked stems every day for two weeks to give your body a good treatment in the spring.
She also recommends making a plantain syrup made with honey and unrefined sugar to purify the blood. This is to be taken before every meal, which is interesting since I had never heard an herbalist suggest this; usually plantain is made as a tea or a poultice.
Another interesting recommendation is about thyme tea- which is usually used for coughs, bronchitis, etc. She says that in her experience, drinking thyme tea in the morning instead of coffee will make you feel more refreshed and wide-awake! If you feel like giving up coffee for a while, give this a try and let me know how you feel.
She was a major proponent of Swedish bitters and wrote that it is a great preventative remedy for the flu and pains of any kind. Bitters are well-known in the herbal community for their myriad uses-usually for various digestive troubles. And since good digestion is the foundation for good health, it makes sense that bitters can be used for pretty much any ailment.
I was also excited to learn from her writings about a German priest named Father Sebastian Kneipp who promoted hydrotherapy and natural medicine back in the 1800s. He cured himself of tuberculosis by using hot and cold water therapy and later wrote about natural cures. He suggested to women that they would do well if they drank a cup of yarrow tea every so often. This is probably because yarrow is great at regulating the menstrual cycle, and is the premier herb for blood ailments. Maria Treben says it’s a good idea to drink a cup of yarrow tea every day year round. Since yarrow is quite bitter, you can always mix it with something tasty, like mint or rose to offset its bitterness.
She even has a remedy for sleepwalking. I never heard of any natural remedies for this but she actually suggested St. John’s wort. Two cups of tea can be taken daily (sipped slowly), or a sitz bath can be made with the herb weekly, along with a foot bath six times per week. The sitz bath water has to be deep enough to cover the kidneys. I doubt there will ever be a randomized-controlled trial to test this but fascinating nonetheless.
Maria Treben and Father Sebastian saw their use of natural medicine as a gift from God. The two views certainly are not at odds with each other. I believe God gave us what we need to be healthy and it can be found in the natural world. This is not to discredit modern medicine. I am grateful for hospitals and competent doctors and surgeons who are needed for problems that plants can’t fix such as broken bones, bullet wounds, advanced medical issues, etc. The problem is that many modern ailments can be avoided if people knew how to live healthier lifestyles and eat well. It’s very interesting to learn what herbalists from long ago recommended for others, since improper lifestyle habits are not that new.
Further reading:
Thus Shalt Thou Live – Father Sebastian’s book you can read online
A Spoonful of Garlic 
Jim, as a Catholic myself, I hold Catholicism to be the only true religion founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church is not responsible for the evils of modern medicine, I’m not sure why you think that. The Bible is actually a Catholic book and passages are read at every Mass (I mean the traditional Latin Mass, not the new mass that is false worship). I was surprised to find Maria Treben as a Catholic, since many herbalists are pagans, at least in modern times. I truly hope she died belonging to the One True Faith.
Funny, I always saw Maria Treben as too Christian to be catholic. I first found her “Health Through God’s Pharmacy” book back in 1983 and it has been a staple in my extensive herbal library, second only to the very Protestant Jethro Kloss’ “Back to Eden”. I hold the catholic church accountable for all the modern medicine that is turning our bodies into toxic waste dumps. Like you I was shocked to find her a catholic, however, I was also raised in that church and had I not read the Bible, I might still be enslaved there to this day. I know God’s people are in every church, but it is the job of all to heed the warning to “come out of her my people” (Rev 18:4). I sure hope Maria Treben saw the light before she took her final breath…