This study explores the ethnobotany of the plants in the Herbarium of Emily Dickinson, a 19th-century poet, who was well-known for her gardening and botanical knowledge. In the early 1860s, Dickinson developed inflammation in her eyes possibly due to infection. Due to her sensitivity to light, she had to tend her plants very early in the morning or at night. Her photophobic and phantom-like behavior resembled that of Monotropa uniflora, or the ghost pipe, which she referred to as her “preferred flower of life.” Historically, the sap of this plant was used in Native American medicine as a topical ointment to treat ophthalmic infections or inflammation. In this study, the main objective was to determine if this plant contains the necessary bioactive components to potentially treat Emily Dickinson’s eye condition. Using an ethanol extraction and rotary evaporation, the M. uniflora extracts were collected. These extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity using the Kirby Bauer Method and Staphylococcus pneumoniae. M. uniflora does not display antimicrobial activity in the presence of S. pneumoniae. It may be that the antimicrobial properties of M. uniflora are present with higher concentrations of plant extract.