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Page 39
| as the stomach coating will help reduce alcohol absorption. |
| Externally, slippery elm can be used to soothe wounds and burns and it is also commercially available in ointments (sometimes combined with marshmallowAlthaea officinalis) as a drawing remedy for splinters and boils. |
| St. John's Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) |
| St. John's wort is an extremely effective antidepressant that is believed to inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), which itself inhibits neurotransmitters involved in stimulating the brain. MAO inhibitors are widely used in orthodox medicine, and some researchers suggest St. John's wort has similar action but without the usual side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. |
| Description: An upright perennial growing from a woody base with linear ovate leaves which appear to be speckled with tiny holes when held to the light (they are, in fact, small oil sacs). The flowers are yellow with five petals and red-tipped stamens. It will grow to around 24 inches and flowers in midsummer. |
| Parts used: Flowering tops collected in midsummer, leaves collected before or after flowering. |
| Actions: Astringent, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, sedative, restorative tonic for the nervous system. |
| Uses: Externally, St. John's wort is one of our most useful first aid remedies. As an infused oil it can soothe minor burns, sunburns, cuts, scrapes, and inflammations. It can ease both skin and joint inflammations: add 2 drops of yarrow essential oil to a teaspoon of St. John's wort infused oil to make a helpful rub for tennis elbow. |
| Internally, St. John's wort tea acts as a tonic and restorative for the nervous system, and thanks to its analgesic effect, can also relieve menstrual pain and other abdominal aches. It has become extremely popular in Germany (Grünwald 1996) where it is widely prescribed by general practitioners as a safe, effective, and nonaddictive |
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