Absinthe "the holy trinity." Many other herbs may be used as well, such as petite wormwood ("Artemisia pontica" or Roman wormwood), hyssop, melissa, star anise, angelica, peppermint, coriander, and veronica. Adding to absinthe's negative reputation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unscrupulous makers of the drink omitted the traditional colouring phase of production in favour of adding toxic copper salts to artificially induce a green tint. This practice may be responsible for some of the alleged toxicity historically associated with this beverage. Many modern day producers resort to similar (but non-deadly) shortcuts, including the use of artificial food colouring
Anise of anise in traditional European herbal medicine was for its carminative effect (reducing flatulence), as noted by John Gerard in his "Great Herball", an early encyclopedia of herbal medicine: The seed wasteth and consumeth winde, and is good against belchings and upbraidings of the stomacke, alaieth gripings of the belly, provoketh urine gently, maketh abundance of milke, and stirreth up bodily lust: it staieth the laske (diarrhea), and also the white flux (leukorrhea) in women. Anise has also been thought a treatment for menstrual cramps and colic. In the 1860s, American Civil War nurse Maureen Hellstrom used anise seeds as