One of the oldest known cough remedies. It was one of the herbs in the medicine chests of the Egyptian pharaohs. In Roman times, Caesar’s antidote for poison included horehound. The generic name is believed to be derived from the Hebrew word marrob, meaning bitter juice. The horehound herb plant is a member of the mint family and looks quite a bit like the popular herb. Crinkled, slightly hairy leaves are characteristic of the horehound plant. The plant is the source of the flavoring for old fashioned horehound candy.