For instance, Yarrow was once called Carpenter’s Weed, Milfoil, Nosebleed, Old Man’s Pepper, Sanguinary, Staunchweed, Soldier’s Woundwort, Thousandleaf, Woundwort, Devil's Nettle, Devil's Plaything, Bloodwort, Death Flower, Knight's Milfoil, Arrow Root, Thousand Seal.

Think of the wounds a carpenter, or a Soldier would receive in the course of his duties. Think of staunching blood flow, treating infectious wounds. Yarrow is an excellent styptic and a vulnerary (amongst other things).

Then there's Self Heal, also called Prunella, Brunella, Xia ku cao, Healwort, Heal All, Woundwort, Sicklewort, Allheal, Sough Heal, Hook Heal, Heart of the Earth, Blue Curls, Wood Sanicle, Slough-Heal, Brunella, Carpenter-weed, Lance Selfheal.

Valerian is also called All Heal - it can be used to treat cut and wounds, amongst other things.

Seen the movie, Braveheart? That blue stuff on his face was supposed to have been Woad. Not only did it make them look fierce, but Woad is an excellent healing herb for wounds - just the right thing for a soldier to wear.

Then there's Wood Betony, Agrimony, Agrimony, Comfrey, Chamomile, Chickweed, Herb Robert, Houseleek, Lawn Daisy, Calendula, Mullein, Plantain, Sanicle, Shepherd's Purse, St John's Wort, Vervain, and many others if you care to do some research for 'wound herbs' or 'vulnerary herbs'.

Garlic was used in World War 1 to treat soldier's wounds. Very useful herb, garlic.

By the way, garlic is indeed a valuable (and tasty) herb, being looked at now primarily for cancer prevention and lipid-lowering effects. While it has historically been used for treating injuries (as recently as WWII), evidence of clinical antimicrobial activity is sketchy at best.

If one only looks to garlic as a cholesterol lowering agent, it one might be disappointed as the effect is rather modest or small. But the heart healthy effects of garlic probably go deeper than that.

Here's a study that looks at such mechanism - garlic reduces the formation of fatty streaks on arteries, reduces and the growth of atherosclerotic plaques, and inhibits the proliferation of smooth muscle 'fur' in the arteries, even when cholesterol is elevated. The levels of cholesterol in the blood are one important factor, but they don't explain everything. The amount of cholesterol oxidation, how it is metabolized, and where it is deposited are also important. The effect of the aged garlic extract, 'Kyolic', on the development of experimental atherosclerosis.

Also, garlic and other foods rich in organic sulfur compounds seem to be quite important for the generation of hydrogen sulfide, which (like nitric oxide) is an important gasotransmitter used in metabolic signaling. Adequate H2S protects the heart in ways that are not apparent from cholesterol screening. Perspective on recent developments on sulfur-containing agents and hydrogen sulfide signaling.

It was only in the early-mid 1800's that the microbial cause of infections was given much credit.