>According to Dr. Tyler, sassafras is a new world plant that has been
>used for syphilis, typhus, dropsy, skin diseases, etc., but is very
>unsafe.

According to Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions, 'When reasearch showed
that astronomical quantities of artificial safrole caused cancer in rats,
the US Food and Drug Administration had a convenient excuse to remove
sassafras from the health-food stores. One suspects that the FDA was more
concerned about eliminating competition for the drug and soft drink
industries than in protecting the populace from a carcinogen. Americans had
enjoyed sassafras as a tea and in root beer with no bad effects for
centuries.'