Continuing our Fernandina Bicentennial Celebration this week we are sharing information about fighting plagues in early Fernandina, something you may well find in a community market or trading post in 1825.
The Fernandina Beach Market Place is a true farmers market, located on North Seventh Street in historic, downtown Fernandina. Discover seasonal produce, coffee, teas, hot sauces, rubs, and spice packets. There will be sauces, marinera, salsas, dressings, jams, jellies, pickles, chow chow, and more. There will be all natural bug sprays, all natural sunscreens, and natural body soaps, lotions, scrubs, and loofah sponges grown right here in Fernandina Beach. Soy candles poured into reusable glass jars, with wooden wicks are made by Riverwood Candles. There is beef, pork, fish, jerky, and wild caught shrimp available at the farmers market, too.
However, one of the less pleasant items found at a community gathering 200 years ago would have been the plagues and diseases that afflicted citizens of the area. With our deep-water port and quick access to the Atlantic Ocean, the area was indeed a melting pot of both people and their cultures, but also illness and fevers, as well as their ideas and attempts for healing. Fighting plagues in early Fernandina included bloodletting and purging, and chemicals like opium and camphor were introduced as medicines. It was the bark of the cinchona tree, quinine, that was found a good source for treating fevers, including yellow fever and malaria.
Quinine’s bitter taste meant that it was hard to enforce usage, so officials encouraged mixing it with soda and sugar, creating “tonic water.” This tonic water was sometimes mixed with gin to conceal the bitterness, giving rise to today’s gin and tonic cocktail. The concept of mixing ingredients into medicinal tonics has deep historical roots. Some of the traditional remedies that we use today, began with combining vinegar, honey, and various herbs.
Uses and results were well-documented across several cultures long before the modern iteration of this week’s Bicentennial Product, Fire Cider. Fire cider is a traditional herbal remedy made from a combination of apple cider vinegar, honey, and various herbs and spices. It is often used to boost the immune system, improve digestion, and ward off colds and flu. Fire cider, as it is known today, was popularized by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar in the 1970s, but its predecessors included Nicholas Culpeper’s writings of 1653 that documents the medicinal use of many herbs and plants, including those found in fire cider. Stop by the Empowering Journey Herbs booth and have a chat with Joanna to learn more.
We invite you to make the Fernandina Beach Market Place a regular part of your weekend routine. By supporting local markets, you’re not only enjoying high-quality, fresh products but also contributing to the local economy and strengthening our community. It’s a wonderful way to connect with your neighbors, discover new favorites, and experience the rich culture and history of Nassau County, Florida. And today, fighting plagues in early Fernandina is not really as much of a concern.
