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| Magickal |  |
Culinary | |
Identification and Cultivation |
| St. Johnswort |
| Hypericum perforatum |
| Family: | Guttiferae, Hypericaceae |
| Other Names: | Amber, Beast Killer, Common St. John's Wort, Common St. Johnswort, Goatweed, Hypericum, Johnswort, Killing the Beast, Klamath Weed, Perforate St John's Wort, St. John's Grass, St John's Wort, St. John's Wort, St.-John's-wort, Tipton Weed, Zveroboi |
| Parts Used: | Flowering tops, Herb |
| Systems: | Bladder, Blood, Immune, Liver, Nervous system, Stomach |
| Actions: | Alterative, Antibacterial, Antidepressant, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Aperient, Aromatic, ASTRINGENT, Blood purifier, Diuretic, Expectorant, Immunostimulant, Nervine, Sedative, Styptic, Tonic, Tranquilizer, Vulnerary |
| Energy and Taste: | Cool; Bitter |
| Uses: | External: | Breasts (swollen, tumors), Bruises, Burns, Glands (enlarged), Sprains, Swelling, Swellings, Tumors (breast, hard), Ulcers, Wounds | ||
| Oil (infused): |
Breasts (swollen,
tumors), Bruises, Burns, Pain (sciatic), Skin
(sensitive), Sores, Sprains, Swelling, Swellings, Tumors
(breast, hard), Ulcers, Wounds |
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| Internal: | Afterbirth (pain), Alterative, Antidepressant, Anxiety, Bedwetting, Boils, Blood purifier, Coughs, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Hysteria, Insomnia, Jaundice, Lungs (expectorant, problems), Menstruation (irregular), Muscles (bruises, pain), Nervous system (conditions, diseases, general, pains), Spine (pain, tenderness), Urine (suppressed), Uterus (cramps, disorders, pain) | |||
| Tea: | Alterative, Anxiety, Bedwetting, Blood purifier, Boils, Depression, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Jaundice, Urine (suppressed), Uterus (cramps, disorders, pain) | |||
| With very small amount of Aloe Vera powder: |
Acts strongly on liver. | |||
| Homeopathy: | After-pains, Asthma, Bites, Breasts (general, problems), Bruises, Bunions, Concussion (brain, general, spinal), Corns, Coxalgia, Diarrhea, Fractures (compound, general), Headaches, Hemorrhoids, Hydrophobia, Hypersensitivity, Impotence, Labor, Meningitis, Mental disorders, Neck (stiff), Neuralgia (brachial, general), Operations, Panaritium, Paralysis (general, spastic), Rheumatism, Scars, Spine (concussion, irritation), Tetanus, Ulcers, Whooping Cough, Wounds (general, gunshot) | |||
| Biochemical make-up: | essential oil, flavonoids, hypericin (*hypericin can cause skin burns on some people (photodermatitis)*). | |||
| Biologically active compounds: | Choline, Hypericin, Pectin, Pseudohypericin, Rutin, and Sitosterol | |||
| Abrasions, Abscesses, Aches, Afterbirth (pain), After-pains, AIDS, Alterative, Anemia, Antibacterial, Antidepressant, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Anxiety, Aperient, Appetite, Aromatic, Arthritis, Asthma, ASTRINGENT, Bedwetting, Bites (general, venomous), Bladder (ailments, general, stones), Bleeding (general, internal), Blisters, Blood purifier, Boils, Brain-lag, Breasts (caked, swollen, tumors), Breath (bad), Bronchitis, Bruises, Bunions, Burns (general, sun), Cancer (basal cell carcinoma, skin), Carbuncles, Catarrh, Chest (congestion), Coccygeal pain, Colds, Colic, Concussion (brain, general, spine), Congestion (chest, lung), Contusions, Corns, Coughs (general, whooping), Coxalgia, Cuts, Depression, Diarrhea, Diuretic, Dysentery, Ear infections, Eczema, Expectorant, Fevers, Fractures (compound, general), Gall bladder (pain), Gangrene, Gastroenteritis, Glands (enlarged), Gums, Halitosis, Head (ache, heavy, throbbing), Headaches, Hemophilus infections, Hemorrhages, Hemorrhoids, HIV, Hydrocephalus (used with other herbs), Hydrophobia, Hypersensitivity, Hysteria, Immunostimulant, Impotence, Infections (ear, general, hemophilus), Inflammations (general), Injuries (general, to nerves), Insects (bites, stings), Insomnia, Intestines (pain, problems), Irritability (general, nervous), Itching, Jaundice, Kidneys, Labor, Lesions, Liver, Lungs (bleeding, congestion, expectorant, problems), Malaria, Melancholy, Meningitis, Menopause (emotional problems, general), Menstruation (cramps, delayed, excessive bleeding, irregular, pain), Mental (depression, disorders), Muscles (bruises, cramps, pain, spasms, tension), Neck (stiff), Neuralgia (brachial, general), Nerves (damage, general, pain), Nervine, Nervousness, Nervous system (conditions, diseases, general, pains, trauma), Neuralgia, Operations, Pain (afterbirth, arthritic, bruises, coccygeal, gall bladder, general, intestines, menstrual, muscular, neuralgic, pelvic, rheumatic, sciatic, spine, sprains, stomach, uterine), Palsy, Panaritium, Paralysis (general, spastic), Psoriasis, Rashes, Rheumatism, Scars, Sciatica, Scrofula, Sedative, Shock, Skin (conditions, problems, sensitive, ulcers), Snake bites, Sores, Spasms, Spine (concussion, irritation, pain, tenderness), Sprains, Stings (insect), Stomach (ache, congealed blood, disorders (acute, chronic), pains, upset), Strains, Stretch marks (prevent), Styptic, Sunburn, Swelling, Swellings, Tension, Tetanus, Tonic, Tranquilizer, Tuberculosis anemia, Tumors (breast, hard), Ulcers (external, internal), Urinary tract (problems), Urine (bloody, pus, suppressed), Uterus (cramps, disorders, pain), Varicose veins, Veins (swollen, varicose), Venom (with juice of knot-grass: neutralizes), Vomiting, Vulnerary, Whitlows, Whooping cough, Worms, Wounds (gangrenous, general, gunshot, with severed nerves/nerve tissue) |
| Contraindications: | St. Johnswort is a suspected MAO (monoamine
oxidase) inhibitor (no one's really quite sure how it
works). *Do not take this herb is if you are taking MAO
inhibitors or any medications that would adversely
interact with MAO inhibitors or eat any foods that would
adversely interact with MAO inhibitors. Avoid anything
with tyramine. Don't take: amphetamines, asthma inhalants, cold medications, diet pills, hay fever medications, narcotics, nasal decongestants, SRIs (seratonin reuptake inhibitors (ie, Prozac)), tryptophan (an amino acid), tyrosine (an amino acid) Don't drink/eat: ale, beer, bologna, brewer's yeast, cheese (aged), chocolate, coffee, fava beans, miso soup, pepperoni, pickled foods, salami, sauerkraut, sausage, smoked foods, tofu (fermented, general), vermouth, wine, yogurt. |
| *It is deemed safe by some herbalists to take St. Johnswort and an MAO inhibitor medication ONLY while making the transition from the conventional medication to natural. As you decrease your dosage of conventional anti-depressant, you increase your dosage of St. Johnswort; this, of course, done over several weeks to several months time and under careful supervision. | |
| St. Johnswort can cause photosensitivity
(sensitivity to bright light/sunlight) in some people and
animals. The eyes become more sensitive to light in some;
others break out in a rash or blisters and sunburn when
exposed to bright/sun light (photodermatitis) due to the
hypericin in the plant. Fair-skinned people and animals
tend to be more prone to this. However, animals in
general seem to be far more likely to become
photosensitive than humans and when they do, are affected
far worse.. hence the name "Beast Killer," and
Killing the Beast." Other side effects include diarrhea, drowsiness, and nausea. |
|
 Pet safe with caution in fair-skinned, pregnant and nursing animals. |
| Notes: | Studies were conducted in 1988
on hypericin and pseudohypericin (compounds found in St.
Johnswort). Results found them to have strong
anti-retroviral action with minimal side effects. Further
studies were planned to determine their use in the
treatment of AIDS. (I haven't found anything since then,
so.. who knows) The red oil that the plant's leaves and flowers contain has some antibiotic properties. |
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| BIBLIOGRAPHY |
| Buchman, Dian Dincin, Ph.D., Herbal Medicine: The Natural Way to Get Well and Stay Well, New York, NY: Wings Books, 1996. |
| Castleman, Michael, The Healing Powers of Herbs: The Ultimate Guide to the Curative Power of Nature's Medicines, New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1991 or 1995. |
| Culpeper, Nicholas and Pottern, David (editor), Culpeper's Color Herbal, New York, NY: Sterling, 1983. |
| Culpeper, Nicholas, Culpeper's Complete Herbal & English Physician, Enlarged, Glenwood, IL: Meyerbooks, 1990. |
| Foster, Steven & Duke, James A., A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants: Eastern and Central North America, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1990. |
| Heinerman, John, Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs & Spices, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996. |
| Hutchens, Alma R., A Handbook of Native American Herbs, Boston, MA: Shambhala, 1992. |
| Jones, Feather, Medicinal Herb Handbook, Boulder, CO: Six Directions Publishing Cooperative, 1994. |
| Lust, John, The Herb Book, New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1974. |
| Ottariano, Steven G., R.Ph., Medicinal Herbal Therapy: A Pharmacist's Viewpoint, Portsmouth, NH: Nicolin Fields Publishing, Inc., 1999. |
| Potts, Billie, Witches Heal, Ann Arbor, MI: DuRęve Publications, 1988. |
| Santillo, Humbart, BS, MH, Natural Healing with Herbs, Prescott, Arizona: Hohm Press, 1991. |
| Stansbury, Jill, N.D., Herbs for Health & Healing, Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International, Ltd., 1997. |
| Tenney, Louise, Today's Herbal Health, Pleasant Grove, UT: Woodland Books, 1992. |
| Tierra, Michael C.A., N.D., The Way of Herbs, New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1990. |
| Tierra, Michael L.Ac., O.M.D., The Way of Herbs, New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1998. |
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| Copyright 1999. By WhiteFox. |
