Hypericum perforatum, Linn
Common name: St. John's wort.
Nat. Ord. Hypericaceae.
Parts Used: The leaves and flowering tops of Hypericum perforatum. Linn.The image shown on the left is Hypericum calycinum L. This to show the general appearance of the flower. All members of the St Johns wort family will be medicinal to a greater or lesser extent .The whole herb is dark-green, with a powerful scent when rubbed, and stain the fingers dark-purple, from the great abundance of colored essential oil.
Preparation: Tincture of Hypericum
History and Chemical Composition. St. John's wort is an herb abundantly growing in this country and Europe. The flowers appear from June to August. It has a peculiar, terebinthine odor, and a balsamic, bitterish, rather astringent taste. It imparts its properties to water, alcohol, ether, oils, or alkaline solutions.. Hypericum contains a volatile oil, a resin, tannic acid and coloring matter.
Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage. Astringent, sedative, and diuretic. Used in suppression of the urine, chronic urinary affections, in diarrhoea, dysentery, worms, jaundice, menorrhagia, hysteria, nervous affections with depression, hemoptysis, and other hemorrhages. Hypericum has undoubted power over the nervous system, and particularly the spinal cord. Homoeopathic physicians regard it as the arnica of that structure. It is used in injuries of the spine and in lacerated and punctured wounds of the limbs to prevent tetanic complications and to relieve the excruciating pains of such injuries (Scudder). It is highly valued by Webster in spinal irritation when, upon gentle pressure upon the spinous processes of the vertebrae, burning pain is elicited. Throbbing of the whole body in nervous individuals, fever being absent, is said to be a good indication for hypericum. The usual method of administration is Tincture of Hypericum. Externally, hypericum may be used in fomentation, or used as an ointment for dispelling hard tumors, caked breasts, bruises, ecchymosis, swellings, ulcers, etc. The blossoms, infused in sweet oil or bear's oil, by means of exposure to the sun, make a fine, red balsamic ointment for wounds, ulcers, swellings, tumors, etc. Dose of the powder, from 1/2 to 2 drachms; of the infusion, from 1 to 2 fluid ounces. The dose of the strong tincture is from 1/2 to 10 minims. The saturated tincture of the fresh herb is 1:2 in alcohol, 76 per cent.
Specific Indications and Uses. Spinal injuries, shocks, or concussions; throbbing of the whole body without fever; spinal irritation, eliciting tenderness and burning pain upon slight pressure; spinal injuries, and lacerated and punctured wounds of the extremities, with excruciating pain; hysteria; locally to wounds, contusions, etc.
Abstracted and abridged from:
King's American Dispensatory.
by Harvey Wickes Felter, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D., 1898
