Hypericum perfoliatum

Common Name: St.Johnswort

Comment: Good in lung troubles; hysteria.
Constituents: Red pigment; Resin; Volatile oil;
Tannin; Carotenes; Flavonoids (inc. hypericin).
Tincture: (1:3 @ 25%). 1021.5 ml h2o, 340.5 alc.
Use: neuralgia, irritability, neurosis.
Article: Saint John's Wort [Hypericum perforatum]
Everybody will be seeing a great deal of St. John's Wort (SJW) in the near future. It is now on the never ending stream of trendy herbal products. Plus, big-time pharmaceuticals are using their enhanced SJW creations as a
springboard, heralding their entry into the herbal product retail business.
In times past, doctors and pharmacists would admonish those who dared to address their health concerns with herbal products. However, an estimated 70 million North Americans (Alive Magazine, Oct 97, p33) have seen Alternative
practitioners and are using their recommended products. This translates into a billion dollar per year industry in North America alone and the pharmaceuticals are falling all over themselves to jump onto the band wagon.
Look on the drug store shelves and a wide variety of fancy-looking herbal products, including Saint John's Wort, will be seen to be available. The pharmacists are at a loss as to how they are used in the practice of health promotion. Trumped-up medical studies are being rushed in so that drug-style claims may be made for these new products. Not the least of these claims will be that [their] particular brand of Saint John's Wort will have antidepressant
effects. People understand "anti-depressant" and are eager to try a non-drug alternative to the hazardous chemical substances now on the market.
St John's Wort grows wild throughout many parts of North America. In Nova Scotia it is extremely common. It is a low, scraggly shrub with delicate yellow flowers that bloom for four weeks each summer. The parts used toward the
promotion of health are the herb and flower.
St. John's Wort herb is a herb which possess a broad spectrum of health-promoting potential. Perhaps its greatest strength is in the treatment of herpes infections. Herpes is a disease that can take hold of a person when
one is "below par" both physically and mentally. SJW strengthens the nerves so that the body is better able to ward off viral infection.
SJW combats over-tension. It is relaxing in character and so may be used effectively for insomnia, cramps of the bowels and uterus, in epilepsy, and for the mind.
SJW is an alterative. Alterative is simply a vague way of saying that the body is generally vitalized in a restorative, supportive manner. SJW has a long tradition of being used for melancholy, depression, and the convalescence
following concussion. It is suited to use in menopause and does not reflect the current fashion of treating this life change with hormones.
SJW is healing. Saint John's Wort is excellent as a pain killer and antiinflammatory. SJW is perfect for treating the pain and bother of sunburn. It works very well in the upper-digestive tract, too. Traditional usage of SJW
for rheumatic and gouty conditions implies that it may be effective throughout the body.
As if SJW didn't have enough going for it, there is definite healthful use of SJW in hepatic (liver related) difficulties such as with the gallbladder.
All-in-all, SJW is an important herb with vast therapeutic potential.
Usually, when discussing Saint John's Wort, up will pop the monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) question. Will SJW interfere with MAO inhibiting drugs (tranquilizers, antidepressants, sedatives)? NO.
MAO drugs are used to prevent the body from constructing or maintaining connections between nerves. Connections are made from amines floating about in cell fluids. People are warned not to eat foods such as raspberries, cheese,
and peanuts because they contain protein (amines) which may poison the body by accumulating in cells (due to the MAOI), causing a potentially-fatal shock-like syndrome.
Doctors would invariably tell people not to take efficient, harmless, and effective SJW because it may affect the efficacy of MAOI drugs. Any side-effects would certainly be SJW's fault. This is not true. Saint John's
Wort is not an MAO inhibitor. Saint John's Wort does not disrupt bodily functions as do drugs. Saint John's Wort, like most herbs, are food for the body; drugs, on the other hand, are poisons to the body.
It is interesting to note that the large pharmaceuticals are funding clinical tests of SJW in comparison to placebos. Why aren't they comparing SJW against their own existing drugs? Note that Prozac (a tranquilizer) is not more
than 50% effective in clinical trials; yet, placebos often rate as high as 50%. Is Prozac no better than nothing? And, will SJW rate better than 50%?
Don't hold your breath for the answers to these questions. The pharmaceutical industry learned long ago never to do comparative trials against natural therapies.

Purposes:   (See also Disease: Signs & Symptoms)

Used In:    (See Formulas)

Anaemia, Megaloblastic                              
Blood Enricher                                              

Properties:   

Alterative                              
Antibiotic                              
Anti-Inflammatory                
Antiseptic                              
Anti-Spasmotic                      
Astringent                              
Healing Agent                        
Nervine                                    
Pain analgesic                      
Tonic                                        

Contraindication(s):   

Clinical:     10 ml per 100 ml tincture.

Clinicals:    

brain                                        
pain                                          

Constituents:   

Materia Medica:    (See Materia Medica.)