I am always impressed by the accuracy of plant names. Comfrey is known as knit bone or something similar in many countries and in Irish it is called Lus na gcnamh briste, which translates as the herb of the broken bone.
The names of herbs also tell us about important times of the year and St. John’s Wort is an example of this. St John’s day is June 23rd and the plant comes into flower just before the longest day. Even if you never had a calendar, you would know the longest day had occurred when this plant came into bloom. It seems a much nicer method of noting the passing weeks than looking at a diary.
The Latin name for St John’s wort is Hypericum and it has achieved an enviable reputation as an anti-depressant. I, personally, tend not to use it in my practice for depression but I do use it for post-herpetic neuralgia which is a most painful condition as anyone who has suffered this condition will attest. This is because Hypericum is particularly good for soothing nerve endings, and it is these that are irritated in the post-shingles phase. In that sense, Hypericum could be exceptionally good for people who suffer from jangly nerves as distinct from depression characterised by low mood. Even to look at the flower in midsummer raises one’s spirits as it is this bright vivid yellow and the petals radiate like the rays of the sun. It really does symbolise mid-summer.
From a scientific perspective, Hypericum is believed to work by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, in the brain but it also has some potential side effects. It can interact with certain medications and may also reduce their effectiveness. This interaction is due to the effect of Hypericum on the Cytochrome P450 pathway. This is a family of enzymes that participate in the breakdown and elimination of various medications in the body and these medications range from contraceptive pills, and anti-depressants, to immune-suppressing drugs.
It is possibly better to discuss the advantages of taking Hypericum with your health care provider before taking it as this identifies if this amazing sunny herb is the one for you.
