St. John's Wort
(Hypericum perforatum L., Hypericaceae).
Description: This tough little perennial shrub grows 25-90cm
(10-36in) inches tall and is covered with pretty, fragrant yellow flowers
from mid to late summer. Stems much branched towards the base, stems with
two raised lines throughout their length.
The dark green leaves opposite, elliptical, 1.5-3cm (0.6-1 in) long, entire,
glabrous, with numerous transparent round oil glands in the surface, which
look like tiny perforations on their undersides and with small black dots
on the edges.
The golden yellow flowers have 5 petals 20-25mm (0.8-1 in), with clusters
of feathery gold stamens and have black glandular dots that exude a dark brown
oil when pressed.
Flowering: JulySeptember.
Part Used: Fresh or dried flowering plant, also the fresh flowers.
Habitat and Collection:Native to Europe and naturalised
in Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Australia.
Commercially cultivated and wild-harvested in Europe, Chile and the United
States.
Widespread throughout Europe in woods, hedges, thickets, roadsides.
Abundant in Britain, especially on calcareous soils.
Collected in June-August and dried in the shade.
Constituents and Action: Tannin, a little volatile oil,
flavonoids, a red pigment (hypericine), resin.
Internally St John's wort is spasmolytic, mildly diuretic and stimulates gastrointestinal
secretions, especially bile.
When taker. internally by animals hypericine may produce photosensitisation.
Very pronounced cicatrising action on wounds, cuts and bruises.
Internally for mild-to-moderate depression; externally for cuts, burns, abrasions.
Depression: Many clinical
trials show Saint-John's-wort to be useful in treating mild depressive states.
Studies in 3,250 patients found improvement or total freedom from symptoms
in about 80% of the cases treated, with only 15% not responding.
In Germany, a concentrated extract of the flowers and leaves of Saint-John's-wort,
or hypericum is the most popular prescription drug of any type, natural
or synthetic, for the treatment of mild depression. There, just under 200,000
prescriptions per month are filled for a single brand (Jarsin), compared
with about 30,000 per month for fluoxetine (Prozac). This figure does not
include sales of other hypericum products, whether they are prescribed or
self-selected.
When preparing St. John's Wort grown in your garden, use two to four grams
of dried herb daily. The herb can be prepared as a tea. Both leaves and
flowers are used.
For Other Conditions: For medicinal use, prepare a tincture or
infusion of the aerial parts.
* It is useful as a wound healer, encouraging the formation of granulation
tissue and promoting nerve repair.
* Taken internally, the red oil from the plant helps to heal stomach ulcers.
* Take an infusion or tincture internally for rheumatism, or massage the
oil into the joint.
* Treats nerve-related disorders such as neuralgia, sciatica and shingles.
* Eases symptoms of menopause.
* The oil is good to use topically for wounds, sunburn, burns, and post-operative
scars.
* It is traditionally used for colic, aches and pains, inflammation of the
digestive tract and bed-wetting.
