"Yellow Per Coon" [=Goldenseal]
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Terry
Posted on: October 7, 2002

Have you ever heard of "yellow per coon"? The spelling may not be right, My Dad who is 82 yr old asked me to see if I could fine any of it and no one at our local herb shop know of it by this name.

It is an herb root, yellow and dried it is used for a sore throat by chewing on a piece of the root.

The plant your father is looking for is goldenseal. It is known by a variety of local names such as yellow root, orange root, eye balm, eye root, wild curcuma, ground raspberry, Indian plant, Indian dye, Indian paint, jaundice root, turmeric root, and yellow puccoon. As is obvious, "yellow per coon" is actually "yellow puccoon", sometimes spelled as "pucoon" or "paucon".

Goldenseal is renowned for its antibiotic properties which is why your father remembers its use for sore throat.

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