St. John’s wort is one of the herbs traditionally prescribed for jangled nerves and melancholia.
A St. John’s wort tea is normally made by pouring about one cup of boiling water over two teaspoons (2-4 grams) of chopped raw herb, steeping for 5-10 minutes, and then straining.
A warm tea bag of St. John’s wort can be a compress to relive localized nerve pain and inflammation in strains and sprains, including tennis elbow.
An extract of the herb is also being tested for its ability to fight viruses - including the virus that causes AIDS.
When it is taken as a routine tea, it can lift depression, anxiety and irritability, stabilizes the emotions, and ease insomnia. The tea is cooling and bittersweet.
The tea is especially helpful in cases of neuralgia and headaches, especially if they are accompanied by nervousness or excitability verging on hysteria or occur during depression.
St. Johns’ Wort (Hypericum) tea
