St. John's wort application

Synonyms: St. John's wort, Ivanovo grass, heath.

The generic name in Greek means "under the heather", because of the similarity of some species of St. John's wort with heather, or, perhaps, because Linnaeus, systematizing plants, found St. John's wort among heather. Species definition in Latin means "perforated", since on the leaves of this plant there are numerous translucent points that seem to be holes.

Description .Perennial herbaceous plant of the Clusiaceae family up to 80 cm high. Rhizome thin, branched, giving each year several straight, smooth stems. Leaves are oblong-oval, ovate, obtuse, entire, 0.7-3.5 cm long and 1.4 cm high, with numerous black essential oil translucent glands. Flowers are golden yellow or light orange, oblong-oval, with a five-membered cup and a halo, collected in inflorescences - a thyroid whisk. Fruit is a three-cavity multi-seed box. Seeds are small, dark brown. The mass of 1000 seeds is 0.12-0.14 g. It blossoms in June-August. Seeds ripen in July-August.

Medicinal raw materials: herb( the tip of the stem with leaves and flowers).Gather it during flowering. Cut only the upper part of plants 15-20 cm long. The grass has a balsamic smell and a bitter taste. Dry it in dryers at a temperature of 50-60 ° C, in an attic or under a canopy. Re-harvest the grass in one place in 30-40 days. The finished raw material is stored in a glass container for 2 years.

Biological features. In the first year of life, only single plants bloom, and in subsequent years it blooms and fructifies abundantly. Strokes of St. John's wort are small, growing at first rather slowly.

Places of growth .It grows in meadows and hills, in deciduous and pine forests, on sandy and mountain slopes, on clearings, glades, virgin lands, near roads, on deposits, among thickets.

Distribution. The plant is found throughout the territory of Ukraine.

It is widely distributed in the European part of the former USSR, in the Caucasus, in the foothill areas of Central Asia, Siberia, Baikal and Transbaikalia.

The main areas of blanks are in Belarus, Ukraine, Volgograd, Pskov regions, Stavropol, Krasnodar and Altai regions.

Chemical composition. The herb of the plant contains tannins( 10-12%), flavonoids( hyperoside, rutin, quercetin, myricetin), leucoanthos, saponins, dyes( hypericin 0.1-0.4%, pseudo hypericin, hyperin, frangulaemodinanthanol), essential oils(0.2-0.3%), resinous substances( 17%), carotene and ascorbic acid.

Agricultural machinery for growing .Site selection. Since St. John's wort can grow on the same place for five or more years, its plantations can be placed on the prefabricated areas or on separate fields of special crop rotations. Strokes of St. John's wort grow very slowly and are easily drowned out by weeds, so it is advisable to take away clean areas from weeds. The best predecessors are lavishly fertilized row crops and cereals that go through pure vapors.

Soil treatment. Soil is cultivated in the same way as for other crops. Before sowing, the field is harvested in several tracks, and if necessary, and cultivated with subsequent harrowing to achieve a fine-lumpy soil structure. To create optimal conditions for shoots, before fielding the field is rolled out with a roller.

Application of fertilizers. Harvest of St. John's wort increases by 25-30% when applying organic and mineral fertilizers for basic plowing. It is recommended to make 30-40 t / ha of humus or humus-peat compost( with a lack of humus, the norm is reduced to 15-20 t / ha, but mineral fertilizers are added: 30 kg / ha of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash).The same amount of mineral fertilizers are introduced in the early spring as fertilizing in the second year and in subsequent years on transitional plantations.

Reproduction. Hypericum multiplies by sowing seeds in the soil for the winter with a row spacing of 45 cm with a seeder without seeding( ie shallow) at a seeding rate of 3-4 kg / ha. In this case, shoots appear two weeks earlier in spring and develop better in comparison with shoots of spring sowing. If planted in the spring, the seeds must be stratified beforehand by mixing them with sand and standing in the cold for about 2-3 months before sowing.

Care for plantations .To create optimal conditions immediately after the emergence of St. John's wort, weeds are weeded out in rows and the rows between rows are puffed. This treatment is repeated throughout the summer 3-4 times in the first year of culture. In the second and subsequent years, in the transitional plantations in the early spring, the last year's stems are removed from the field and harrowed across the rows.

Harvesting. Mow the cutterbar, cutting no lower than 30 cm from the soil surface. Usually within a month and a half after the first mowing, the overgrown plants bloom again, and then mow repeatedly. The average yield of raw materials for the second year of life with good care is 15-25 centners per hectare, on the third - up to 30-40 centners per hectare.

Drying. The raw material of St. John's wort should be dried immediately after collection in well-ventilated rooms, in attics, under an iron roof, in dryers, under a canopy, in covered or fire driers at a temperature of 50-60 ° C.In good weather, you can dry outdoors, but in the shade.

Packing. Raw materials are packed in bales of 40 kg.

Storage. Store the raw materials in a dry, well-ventilated room. Grinding of leaves and flowers is not allowed. It is better to store in wooden boxes, pasted with paper.

Application of .Most often, St. John's wort is used for diseases of the digestive tract. This is explained by the fact that its preparations reduce intestinal and biliary tract spasms, normalize the excretory function of the gastric glands, dilate the blood vessels, increase blood circulation, exert anti-inflammatory action on the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, astringent and bacteriostatic action.

The application of St. John's wort is shown and gives a good therapeutic effect for dyskinesia of the biliary tract, hepatitis, congestion of the bile in the gallbladder, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis( in the initial stage), hypoacid gastritis, flatulence, acute and chronic colitis, simple and bloody diarrheas and hemorrhoids. As a diuretic, St. John's wort is used in kidney stones( at the initial stage) and with a decrease in the filtration capacity of the kidneys. Tincture of St. John's wort is effective for invasive diseases( hymenolepiasis and enterobiasis).

Preparations of St. John's wort remove the spasms of blood vessels( especially capillaries), improve the venous circulation and blood supply of some internal organs, show a capillary-strengthening effect. In a number of cases, St. John's wort is prescribed for violations of peripheral circulation with stagnant phenomena, with microcirculatory disorders. Preparations of St. John's wort are used as an astringent, disinfectant and anti-inflammatory drug inside with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract( gastritis, duodenitis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, acute and chronic colitis).

Feature of this plant is the ability to increase the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet rays. The photosensitizing properties of the plant are associated with the presence of hypericin in it, so St. John's wort is also used in the treatment of vitiligo.

Preparations of St. John's wort are also effective in disorders of the nervous system, neurodistension, migraine, and bedwetting in children. With topical application of St. John's wort, its anti-inflammatory, astringent and bacteriostatic properties are manifested with special force. So, the hunter's oil is successfully used for burns, gingivitis, facial pyateria( Pityriasis simplex faciei), shin ulcers and for wound healing. In dentistry, infusion and tincture are used to rinse the mouth and lubricate the gums with bad breath, gingivitis and stomatitis. In gynecological practice, infusion of herbs is used for syringing in inflammatory diseases of the vagina, and hunter's oil( in the form of tampons) - for the treatment of cervical erosion.

In folk medicine, except for all the aforementioned cases, St. John's wort is used for polyarthritis, sciatica, gout, pulmonary tuberculosis with hemoptysis, mastopathy, various inflammatory processes, boils. Antibacterial agent of St. John's wort Newomian( Novoimaninum) is used to treat burns and various purulent diseases in otolaryngology. In Bulgaria, St. John's wort produces the drug peflavit( Peflavit C), which is used for capillarotoxicosis, acute glomerulonephritis, atherosclerosis.

The healing properties of

1. 20 g of flowers( fresh) are poured with 200 ml of olive oil and insisted for 40 days.1 to 2 teaspoons 30 minutes before meals, 2-3 times a day.

It is used for peptic ulcer and stomatitis, periodontal disease, pharyngitis, as well as for diseases of the bile duct and for kidney stone disease, as an analgesic and anthelmintic.

2. Hypericum oil. Half a glass of fresh flowers and St. John's wort leaves( crushed) insist on a glass of almond, sunflower, olive or linseed oil for three weeks. To wring out, drain. Store in a cool place.

3. Husband oil is used for burns( radical remedy), even if 2/3 of the body surface is affected;

4. Oily compresses are applied to the affected areas with long-term non-healing wounds, ulcers, abscesses, abscesses, inflammation, loosening of the oral mucosa;grease wounds received from the bite of a healthy dog ​​or cat, rashes on the lips after a cold.

5. Take 20 g of the plant per 100 ml of 70-degree alcohol. Infuse for 2 weeks, drain, wring out, filter and store in a dark bottle in a cool place.

Take 40- 50 drops 3-4 times a day. For rinsing, 30-40 drops in 1/2 cup of water.

6. Applied with diseases of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, dyskinesia of the biliary tract, hepatitis, bile stasis in the gallbladder, cholecystitis, with initial symptoms of cholelithiasis, with gastritis. In a number of cases, they are prescribed for violations of peripheral circulation with stasis phenomena, with microcirculatory disorders. They are also used for dyskinesia of bile ducts, hepatitis, cholecystitis, gastritis, flatulence, with a decrease in the filtration capacity of the kidneys, and functional failure of the renal glomeruli.

In dentistry used as an astringent and anti-inflammatory agent, it is recommended to rinse the mouth with a tincture to eliminate the bad odor, and also lubricate the gums to strengthen them.

7. For 20 drops in a glass of water used to rinse the mouth with gingivitis, stomatitis, farengit.

8. 1% solution in 70-degree alcohol with infected wounds, panaritiums, abscesses, carbuncles, furuncles, trophic ulcers and burns, increases the regenerative properties of tissues.

9. Infusion of St. John's wort - 3 tbsp.l.shredded herbs pour 250 ml of boiling water, insist 2 hours and take 0.3 cups 3 times a day. Tincture of St. John's wort is prepared from coarse grass and 70-degree alcohol from a ratio of 1:10.Apply to mouth rinses for 30-40 drops per 0.5 cup of water.

10. To prepare a decoction of 10 g( 1.5 tablespoons), the herbs are placed in enameled dishes, poured 200 ml( 1 cup) of boiling water, covered with a lid and heated in a water bath for 30 minutes. After that, cool, filter, squeeze the remaining raw material and add boiled water to obtain 200 ml. Take inside for the above diseases by 1/3 cup 3 times a day for 30 minutes before meals. The broth can be stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days.

11. It is useful and tea from St. John's wort, the constant use of which promotes the stimulation of endocrine glands, regulates the work of the gastrointestinal tract, strengthens the protective functions of the body.

12. Tincture or extract 30%: inside by 40-50 drops 3 times a day after meals;externally - to lubricate damaged areas and rinses, dilute 30-40 drops to half a cup of water as a sterilizing, disinfectant for acne, with gingivitis, stomatitis, glossitis.

13. Decoction: 10 g per 200 ml( it is better to thicken to half), 1 tbsp.spoon 3 times a day after meals. The same broth can be used for oily seborrhoea, acne.

14. Infusion: 8 g per 200 ml;1/3 cup 3 times a day for 30 minutes before meals or an hour after eating with bowel disease, liver.

15. Oil: 1 part of the flowers are insisted in 2 parts of peach, almond or olive oil for 3 weeks, sunflower oil is allowed.

16. Oil: half a glass of leaves and St. John's wort flowers, powdered into the powder, insist in a glass of sunflower oil for about 3 weeks.

17. Ointment: 1 part of tincture for 4 parts of butter.

18. Mixture( used for liver diseases): St. John's Wort - 20 g, inflorescences of caraway seeds - 30 g, bark of buckthorn - 20 g. 4 tbsp.spoon or the whole mixture to brew in 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 10 minutes and strain;drink a day in 5 receptions. Bark of buckthorn is added to this mixture for the treatment of patients with liver diseases suffering from constipation.

19. Classic Russian tea: St. John's Wort - 1h, herb of oregano - 1.5 h, crushed rose hips 0.5 p. 1 h. Of the mixture on the teapot. Insist 20 minutes, drink like tea.

20. St. John's wort with currant: St. John's wort, black currant leaves - for 1 hour. Shredded and mixed herbs of St. John's wort and currant leaves brew like regular tea.

21. Tea from St. John's wort and primrose: the herb of St. John's wort and the flowers of spring primrose( 1: 1) to brew and drink like regular tea.

22. Tea I.I. Liteiny:

a) St. John's wort and leaves of black currant - for 1 hour, flower heads of clover -2 hours Brew as regular tea.

b) St. John's wort, black currant leaves, strawberry grass 1: 1: 1.1 hour. Shredded mixture of herbs at 1 tbsp.boiling water. Brew like regular tea, insist 15-20 minutes, eat in autumn, winter and in transitional months from winter to spring. Healing properties: a tasty vitamin drink. Helps the body in overcoming the "spring fatigue".

23. Tea balm: 2 items. . dry herb St. John's wort brew in 1 tbsp.ordinary tea.

Healing properties: diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, lungs, prevention of colds.

24. It is required: 1/2 st.l.flowers cornflower, 1/2 st.l.herb St. John's wort, 1 tsp.grass motherwort, 3 cups of beer.

Method of preparation. Dried flowers of cornflower and St. John's wort brew with hot beer, insist 10 minutes, then put the pot on a strong fire. When the water boils, boil for 20 minutes on low heat, cool and strain.

Method of use. Take 1/3 cup 1 time per day 30 minutes after eating with ischemic heart disease.

The course of treatment - 10 days, then 10 days break, after that the treatment is renewed. So repeat 2 more times.

25. Required: 1 tbsp.l.herbs St. John's wort, 1 tbsp.l.chamomile flowers, 1 tbsp.l.grass horsetail field, 500 ml of beer.

Method of preparation. Collect hot pour beer, insist 20 minutes, strain.

How to use. All the resulting amount of infusion to drink for 1 day gradually, best of all very slowly, retaining the liquid for a few seconds in the mouth with coronary heart disease.

The most favorable time for taking a decoction is before meals and in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of treatment is 7 - 10 days.

26. Required: 30 grams of St. John's wort herb, 30 grams of peppermint leaves, 20 grams of wormwood leaves, 20 g of ground valerian root medicinal, 20 grams of hop cones, 200 grams of beer.

Method of preparation.10 g of collection pour 200 ml of beer, heat in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, cool for 45 minutes, drain.

Method of application. Take 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day for ischemic heart disease.

27. Required: 2-3 tsp.chopped herb St. John's wort, 1 tsp.crushed dandelion root, 200ml of beer.

Method of preparation. St. John's wort and dandelion root pour hot beer, cover and put on for 30 minutes insist. Then infuse the infusion.

Method of use. Take infusion of 1/4 cup 3 times daily after meals with constant pain in the heart.

28. Requires: 1 tbsp.l. St. John's wort, 1 tbsp.l.crushed bark of buckthorn, 1 tsp.nettle, 200 ml of beer.

Method of preparation. Grass and bark pour hot beer, cover and put it on for 10 minutes. After that, strain the broth.

How to use. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day after a heart attack.

29. Mask of St. John's wort, cream and oatmeal

Required: 1 glass of beer, 2 tbsp.l.herbs St. John's wort, 3 tbsp.l.oat flakes, 1 tbsp.l.cream.

Method of preparation and use. St. John's wort pour hot beer, cover and put it on for 10 minutes in a cool dark place. Then strain the infusion. Fill with oatmeal flakes( they should well swell), then add cream. Apply the mixture on face. After 30 minutes wash with warm water. This mask helps to smooth wrinkles, improves skin color, makes it velvety.

30. Mask of St. John's wort and flour

Required: 1 glass of beer, 1 tbsp.crushed St. John's wort, 2 tbsp.l.flour.

Method of preparation and use. Pour hot St. John's wort for 30 minutes, without filtering, mix with flour. Apply the mask on your face for 20 minutes, rinse alternately with cool and warm water, this will improve blood circulation.

31. Vegetable mask with St. John's wort

It is required: 1 glass of beer, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp.l.chopped herb St. John's wort, 1 tbsp.l.oatmeal, 1/2 cucumber.

Method of preparation and use. Garlic chop through garlic, cucumber wash and grate on a fine grater, add St. John's wort and flour. Mix everything thoroughly. Apply the mixture on face, after 20 minutes rinse with cool beer.

Herb infusion of St. John's wort and aspen buddy

Required: 1 tbsp.l.chopped herb St. John's wort, 1 tsp.kidney aspen, 200ml beer.

Method of preparation. St. John's wort and aspen buds pour hot beer, cover and let it sit for 1 hour. Then strain.

Method of use. Take 2 tbsp.l.3 times a day for a week with constant pain in the heart.