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Abstract
Hypericum's complete botanical name is Hypericum perforatum. Perforatum is Latin for "perforated". The flowers are a bright yellow orange. It has served as a sedative, painkiller, and analgesic. The blossoms have been added to sweek oil (a refined olive oil used medicinally) for a soothing dressing for cuts." Herbalists credit it with increasing and inducing a sense of well-being. Hypericum is available in tablets, capsules, drops and teas. It is also available as an oil for external use. The oil cannot be recommended for internal use as an antidepressant. In a study of 3,250 patients taking hypericum, only 2.4 percent experienced any side effects at all. The side effects reported tended to be mild. Gastrointestinal irritations accounted for 0.6 percent, allergic reactions for 0.5 percent, tiredness for 0.4 percent, and restlessness for 0.3 percent. It is a rhizomatous perennial herb upto 3 ft.high, distributed in the western Himalayas at altitudes of 3000-10500 ft.
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References
- Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, Rodale Press, 1987. Editors Claire Kowalchik & William Hylton.
- John A.A. Hunter, Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine, 19th Ed, 2005 ch 22, p1133
- Vagbhata, Ashtang Hridaya, Chikitsa sthana, 11thEd,1993, Choukhamba Sanskrit Sansthan,Varanasi
References
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, Rodale Press, 1987. Editors Claire Kowalchik & William Hylton.
John A.A. Hunter, Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine, 19th Ed, 2005 ch 22, p1133
Vagbhata, Ashtang Hridaya, Chikitsa sthana, 11thEd,1993, Choukhamba Sanskrit Sansthan,Varanasi