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The use of various herbs as abortifacients is a practice that predates history. Since humans of all cultures began using herbs as medicine, they have observed which herbs could lead to miscarriage and either shunned or embraced them as needs dictated. As the Catholic Church gained control of European society, women who dispensed abortifacient herbs found themselves classified as witches and were often prosecuted (see witchhunt).
The ancient Greek colony of Cyrene at one time had an economy based almost entirely on the production and export of Silphium, a powerful abortificient in the parsley family. Silphium figured so prominently in the wealth of Cyrene that the plant appeared on the obverse and reverse of coins minted there. Silphium, which was native only to that part of Libya, was overharvested by the Greeks and was effectively driven to extinction.
Many herbs sold "over the counter" today, including Wild carrot, Black cohosh, PennyroyalThe herb Pennyroyal Mentha pulegium Lamiaceae), is a member of the mint genus; an essential oil extracted from it is used in aromatherapy. Pennyroyal has a traditional folk medicine use in inducing abortions and is an abortifacient. The oil is also used a, NutmegNutmeg and mace are two spices derived from the same plant, the nutmeg tree Myristica fragrans The nutmeg tree is indigenous to the Banda Islands of Indonesia but is also grown in the Caribbean, especially in Grenada. Several commercial products are produ, and MugwortMugwort or Common Wormwood Artemisia vulgaris , is a species from the daisy family Asteraceae. It is native to temperate Europe and Asia. It is a very common plant growing on nitrogenous soils, like weedy and uncultivated areas, such as waste places and r, are themselves abortifacients. Typically the labelling will contraindicate use by pregnant women, but will not contain an explanation for this contraindication.
King's American Dispensatory of 1898Events January 1 New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. January 13 Emile Zola's J'accus recommended a mixture of brewers yeast and pennyroyal tea as "a safe and effective abortifacient".
Modern prescription drugs used as abortifacients today are controversial: the most prominent of these is MifepristoneMifepristone is a synthetic steroid. It is used medically in humans as an abortifacient, for the chemical termination of early pregnancy. In the United States it is made by Danco Laboratories under the tradename Mifeprex . During early trials, it was know. The methods of operation of these drugs is better understood than that of traditional herbal remedies, and where legal and socially acceptable they may be prescribed by a doctor.