The Healing Properties of St. John’s Wort

St. John’s wort is a native to Europe, mostly all over the continent except the extreme north. Hypericum perforatum is the scientific name of the herb growing from one to three feet high. The leaves are covered by translucent dots which can be seen by holding the leaf up to a light. These are the “perforations” that give the plant its species designation, “perforatum.” A blood red juice will exude when the fresh flowers are crushed.

The name “hypericum” is derived from the Greek name for the plant, “hyperikon”. The root words are hyper (meaning over) and eikon (meaning image). Botanists from the time of Linnaeus, the father of modern botanical science, have attempted to describe the origin of the herb in various ways. A meaning was translated as “almost over ghosts” referring to the mystical properties attributed to the plant from the medieval times. The name St. John’s worth itself is derived from Anglo-Saxon tradition when the plant was considered to drive away evil spirits.

As a healthful plant it gained the interests of herbalists since the earliest Greek herbals. The 1st century physicians Galen and Dioscorides recommended it as a diuretic, wound healing herb and a treatment for menstrual disorders. .In the 16th century Paracelsus, who ushered in the era of mineral medicines, used St. John’s wort externally for treating wounds and for allaying the pains of contusions.

Not in so long a time ago, the herb was regarded as detrimental because it invaded pasture lands that most North American scientific studies devoted to the plant’s eradication, despite its value as a medicinal plant. Now interest again is turning to how the plant can be used in medicine.

Given the superstitious background of the plant, physicians dismissed it as a folk medicine by the mid 19th century. However interest in the medicinal value of the herb was kept alive by some eclectic medical practitioners in the US who found it be useful in healing wounds especially lacerations involving damage to nerves, as a diuretic, astringent, nervine and mild sedative. In 1938 a survey among German physicians showed that St. John’s wort preparations were being utilized for nerve conditions and disorders induced by excessive intellectual efforts . It was also being used for neuroses, general restlessness and insomnia. In Europe, it is still widely used as a medicinal plant, in home remedies and pharmacy producers.