Sheila writes: "The Nevada filled a trench with warm ashes, in which the
mother, 1 month postpartum, lay relaxing, and drinking geranium tea to keep
her safe from pregnancy until after the baby's 1st birthday."

Doesn't that sound pleasant? This is interesting to me, for some quirky
reason. Although I could well imagine that spending time in an ash-filled
pit might serve to prevent activities leading to conception,do you know,
Sheila or anyone else, what component of the geranium tea served to prevent
conception? Is there a pharmacological basis? Or would just nursing
(presumably in a "non-Western" pattern) do the trick? Was the geranium tea
ever used as contraception in the absence of nursing a young baby? Any other
cultures where this shows up?

(If it would prevent conception in deer we should figure out a way to make
'em eat it!)

Cathy Bargar, RN, IBCLC IThaca NY (who has used wild geranium leaves as a
natural dyestuff)