Valerian is not Valium

[lyoness@castlenet.com (Joane White)]

Hi Kat,

Valerian and Valium are not chemically similar nor is the second made from
the first.

I was just listening to a chemist/herbalist on a tape explain that Valerian
had been used so extensively during the last part of the 1800's and early
1900's that when the chemical compound for a serious sedative was
discovered, they chose the name Valium because of its similarity to
Valerian.  They though people would associate the two.

Joane