Viburnum prunifolium

Specific Indications. - Uterine irritability and hyperaesthesia; uterine colic; threatened abortion; dysmenorrhea, with cramp-like pelvic pain, and scanty flow; severe lumbar and bearing-down pelvic pain; painful contraction of the pelvic tissues; false pains and after-pains; obstinate hiccough.

Action and Therapy. - In relaxation of pelvic tissues, with more or less congestion, or tendency to undue discharges and passive hemorrhage, it is one of the best of medicines. For painful menstruation, whether due to debility with relaxation, or to engorged tissues with cramp-like pain, the physician will find almost daily use for black haw.

The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics by Harvey Wickes Felter, M.D. (1922)

Medicinal uses

For centuries, black haw has been used for medical purposes, mainly for gynecological conditions. The bark is the part of the plant used in treatments.

The active components include scopoletin, aesculetin, salicin, 1-methyl-2,3 clibutyl hemimellitate, and viburnin. Tannin is another chemical component of black haw.

Native Americans used a decoction of black haw to treat gynecological conditions, including menstrual cramps, aiding recovery after childbirth, and in treating the effects of menopause. As a folk remedy, black haw has been used to treat menstrual pain, and morning sickness. Due to its antispasmodic properties, the plant may also be of use in treating cramps of the digestive tract or the bile ducts.

Black haw's primary use was to prevent miscarriages. American slaveholders also used the plant to prevent abortions. Slaves were a valuable asset, and their owner also owned their offspring, so ensuring that female slaves gave birth was of paramount importance. In defiance, some slave women would attempt to use cotton seeds to cause a miscarriage. The slaveowners would therefore force pregnant slaves to drink an infusion of black haw to prevent that.

The primary use of black haw today is to prevent menstrual cramps. The salicin in black haw may also be of use in pain relief.