Eclectic Medicine in Cincinnati: Lloyd Library & Herb Conference

This blog is a travel journal from a recent trip to Cincinnati — a city layered with herbal history and the birthplace of Eclectic Medicine. The journey was so rich with experiences that the story is divided into sections. Each one offers a glimpse into Cincinnati’s role in the Eclectic legacy, the libraries and conservatories that safeguard it, and the voices of the herbalists who carry it forward.

This September, I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream — visiting the Lloyd Library in Cincinnati! For anyone passionate about plants, this library is nothing short of sacred ground. Often called the world’s greatest botanical library, it stands as a monument to the Lloyd brothers — pharmacists, publishers, and champions of the Eclectic Medical Movement. In the early twentieth century, the very streets around it buzzed with apothecaries, pharmacies, and the Eclectic Medical Institute itself — the school from which Eclectic Institute takes its name.

My late husband and company founder, Ed Alstat, loved this library and visited many times. He spoke of it with reverence, as if it were a cathedral of herbal knowledge. His passion for this period in American herbal history ignited my own, and over the years it has guided my devotion to collecting books, artifacts, and remedies from that extraordinary era. Today, my own vintage library and apothecary are shaped by the same spirit that animated the Eclectic Physicians, who boldly placed plants at the very heart of medicine.

Much to my delight, this year’s International Herb Conference was dedicated to the Eclectic Medical Era. It felt like fate — as though the past, present, and future of herbalism were woven together in one moment. To walk through the Lloyd Library’s doors, surrounded by leather-bound volumes and rare herbals, and then to sit among today’s great herbalists as they carried forward the Eclectic spirit — it was a profoundly moving experience. This trip was not just a conference, but a true pilgrimage, one I will always hold close to my heart.

This year’s International Herb Symposium felt like stepping into history brought to life. Founded by Rosemary Gladstar more than 25 years ago, the Symposium has always been a gathering place for herbalists of every tradition. But this year was something truly special — the entire conference was dedicated to the Eclectic Medical Era, the very period that has inspired so much of my own work and from which Eclectic Institute takes its name.

The Eclectic Physicians were 19th- and early 20th-century doctors who believed in drawing from the best of all healing systems. They blended rigorous science with folk traditions, Native American plant knowledge, and a deep respect for the healing power of herbs. At a time when conventional medicine was becoming increasingly mechanized and chemical-based, the Eclectics insisted that plants held wisdom worth preserving.

Walking into the Symposium, I felt that same Eclectic spirit alive in every session. David Winston, Christopher Hobbs, Matthew Wood, Robert Dale Rogers, and Rosemary Gladstar each carried forward that legacy in their own way — weaving stories, research, and plant traditions into teachings that felt both timeless and fresh. 

Meeting Susan Leopold, director of United Plant Savers, underscored the bridge between past and future: honoring the roots of Eclectic Medicine while protecting the plants that are its living foundation.

The Symposium was a reminder that being Eclectic is about honoring diversity — of plants, people, and healing traditions. It was as if the voices of the past were calling us to carry their legacy forward.

The Lloyd Library and Museum is one of those places that feels almost mythical until you finally step through its doors. Founded by the Lloyd brothers — John Uri, Nelson Ashley, and Curtis Gates — it grew out of their pharmaceutical company, Lloyd Brothers, Pharmacists, Inc., whose plant-based medicines were central to the Eclectic Physicians’ success. What began as the brothers’ private collections of books, specimens, and research soon outgrew their homes. By the early 20th century, the collection was so vast that new buildings had to be built just to house it.

Today, the Lloyd Library stands as a trust established by the brothers themselves, holding over 150,000 volumes, thousands of manuscripts, and priceless artifacts. Its focus is clear: pharmacopeias, Eclectic medical books and journals, and early American herbals — the very backbone of herbal medicine in this country. Hidden away on its three floors are treasures not visible to the public: rare artifacts, original Eclectic journals, hand-colored botanical plates, and personal notes of the physicians who shaped the movement.

Visiting the library was a dream realized. My late husband, Ed, adored it and spoke of it often. His reverence for its treasures helped inspire my own passion for collecting. Today, my Eclectic Library and apothecary are modeled on that same era — though mine bursts with color, curiosities, and the warmth of a working space, while the Lloyd Library remains more formal, an immense and meticulously catalogued archive.

To step inside the Lloyd Library was both humbling and surreal. Unlike a typical library, you don’t simply wander the stacks — much of the collection is carefully preserved, tucked away on floors closed to the public. You have to request what you want to see, and a librarian brings it out for you, cradling volumes that have survived centuries.

I asked to view some of their rare hand-colored botanical books, luminous works that still glow with artistry and detail. It was a thrill, though not entirely new for me — because over the years, I’ve gathered nearly all of the great Eclectic-era volumes myself. From King’s American Dispensatory to Barton and Bigelow’s rival herbals, many of the classics featured in the Eclectic medical displays also live on the shelves of my own Eclectic Library.

The difference is in scale and atmosphere. The Lloyd Library is extensive, formal, and safeguarded by a trust established by the brothers themselves. My library, while smaller and more colorful, is alive in a different way — a working space, an apothecary of ideas and remedies where the past is not just preserved, but woven into the present.

Among the treasures at the Lloyd Library was something especially close to home for me — an original Lloyd Extractor, also known as the Lloyd Cold Still. Patented in 1904 by John Uri Lloyd, this ingenious device solved a major challenge of the time: how to extract the active constituents of plants without destroying them with excessive heat.

The Extractor worked through a clever balance of heating and cooling coils, paired with a closed-loop system that condensed and recirculated the solvent through the plant material. The result was a full, potent extraction with minimal heat damage — a breakthrough that made Eclectic remedies famous for their strength and reliability.

Seeing one of these machines on display was a thrill, because at Eclectic Herb we still use two original Lloyd Extractors in our own production today. They are rare pieces of equipment, relics of the Eclectic era, yet still entirely functional — and they remain the secret behind the unmatched potency of our alcohol-free glycerites, like Liquid Goldenseal.

Standing before the Lloyd Extractor in the Library felt like the past reaching out to meet the present: a reminder that the Eclectic legacy isn’t just history, it’s alive and working every day in our craft.

Walking through Cincinnati’s layers of herbal history reminded me that the Eclectic story is still unfolding. What began with visionary physicians and the Lloyd brothers continues today in the work of herbalists, plant conservationists, and in our own commitment at Eclectic Herb.

For me, this journey also carried Ed’s presence. His fascination with the Eclectic era and the Lloyd Library helped ignite my own passion for collecting and preserving herbal knowledge. Standing in those spaces felt like honoring his vision — and carrying it forward together with all of you.

Because the Eclectic legacy is more than history — it’s a living community. It belongs to everyone who cherishes plants, honors tradition, and believes in keeping herbal wisdom alive for generations to come.