Hi Lactnetters:
        I hope this is not too much of the same stuff again, but I have
been in contact with an herb specialist in Miami, who has given me
permission to pass along information about St. John's wort, goldenseal
and others. I hope this information is helpful to those who need it.


On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, John Grange wrote:

>       Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) overground parts (leaves
> and flowers) particularly abundant around June 24th St. John's day and
> the first part of July. Medicinally applied as an effective nerve tonic
> useful in cases of anxiety, postpartum depression, and unrest. Users
> value it   internally as a diuretic and in various conditions ranging
> from gastritis to insomnia. Externally it relieves inflammation and
> promotes healing. It has a protein precipitating action due to the
> presence of approximately 1% of volatile oils of hypericin, and various
> contained xanthones and flavones that act as monoamine oxidase
> inhibitors. Hypericin may produce a kind of photosensitivity
> characterized by dermatitis, and inflammation of mucous membrane, so
> direct exposure to sunlight is to be limited.
>       Goldenseal or hydrastis over the years has acquired a
> considerable reputation for gastric and genitourinary disorders; however
> the alkaloids hydrastin and berberine, while exerting some minor actions
> on circulation, uterine tone and contractility, and on the CNS, the
> effects are too uncertain to be therapeutically useful.
>       If herbal teas are desired then mint, and chamomile, are to be
> recommended as are chamomile with anise for their sedative, analgesic,
> antibiotic sesquiterpinoid lactones Helenalin, and dihydrohelenalin
> esters. Pharmacological properties that are allergens, so, that if
> contact       dermatitis appears, anise should be discontinued
> immediately.