I really think this is one of the best classics of American Literature. It captures a distinct period in time where Puritan thought was very pervasive. My thought is how much is true about the use of medicinal herbs during that period of time. I never reasearched it and was wondering if anyone knew about the medicine Chillingsworth concocted for the hapless Reverend Dimsdale. Would it possible to pass off herbs as a cure without knowing what harm they could do or were they for the most helpful to the people they were administered to. Just wondering.