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PSYCHIATRIKI 21 (4), 2010 HYPERICUM PERFORATUM 335tragically beheaded, and his head was offered toSalome. This last part, along with the fact that theplant’s oil leave blood-like stains on the fingers andthe hands of those gathering it, provoked someinterest regarding certain of the magical and sinisterand implicits regarding Saint John’s Plant.Moreover, in antiquity, it was believed that SaintJohn’s Wort offered protection from evil spirits andbad luck; this belief may have originated partlyfrom the plant’s initial use by traditional healers asa drug for the so-called “melancholy”, or troubledminds. Today, we call these conditions “depression”or “anxiety”.Indeed, Hypericum has recently attracted considerableattention, for its anti-depressant properties.In any case, during antiquity, the effectiveness ofthe use of this plant for the treatment of any mentalor emotional condition, has been undoubtedlyproven, although not fully appreciated, as a side-effectof one of its more common uses. Ancient healersand herbologists, who usually treated woundsand infections using this plant, possibly noticedthat the plant also had a tranquillizing effect, especiallyin its clear oil form, when applied directlyand absorbed by the skin, and in its liquid form (derivedby the steam created by its leaves and flowers– called a “concoction” in traditional herbology)administered orally.Later, the Crusaders brought the plant with themto protect themselves by witchcraft; they also usedsoaked flowers and leaves as ointments to treat thewounds of battle. Naturally, until the Middle Ages,all these therapeutic uses were common practice.The Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalemregularly used cataplasms made of mashed flowersand leaves of this plant, to contain bleeding and healthe wounds of battle, during the 11th, 12th, and 13thcentury. During the same period, the people sufferingfrom rage, or believed to have been possessedby daemons, often were administered concoctionsof the plant, or inhaled its slightly bitter and acidsmell. 20,21In 1618, Hypericum was one of the therapeuticplants to be mentioned in the first LondonPharmacopeia. In England, the plant has been madeparticularly known by Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654),the famous botanologist.The American settlers that immigrated to England,France, and Germany, brought the plant to theNorth Eastern states of the USA, and from there, ithas spread to the argest part of the country, as thesetters moved towards the South and the West. Onehundred years later, during the Eclectic Period, thegolden age of American herbology, known herbologistslike John King and Finley Ellingwood markedthat the use of Hypericum had now spread beyondthe healing of wounds, and that the drug was nowused as a diuretic, astringent, tranquilliser, and forthe treatment of depression. Nevertheless, duringthe 20th century, Hypericum became known for itsvast treatment applications, mainly as an anti-depressant,in both sides of the Atlantic.The treatment indications of the Hypericum, fromantiquity until today, is common cold, the flu, infectiousmononucleosis, dysmenorrhea, menopause,premenstrual dystonia, carpal tunnel syndrome, lumbago,strains, carbuncles, subcutaneous haematoma,burns of all natures, insect bites, obesity, anxiety, insomnia,seasonal emotional disturbance, and, finally,mild and moderate depression. 21,22DiscussionBased on bibliography, it seems that theHypericum has been known since antiquity forits vast treatment applications. Today, especiallyin the USA, United Kingdom and Germany, it isadministered for the treatment of mild and moderatedepression. Its Pharmacodynamics andPharmacokinetics have been extensively studied,and many research protocols are under developmentfor the vaster treatment of many seriousconditions like cancer, HIV and hepatitis, as well ascomparative studies of Hypericum with the activityof tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), and serotoninereuptake inhibitors (SSRI). According to relativelyolder studies, the Hypericum has equal activity withamitryptiline, fluoxetine and maprotiline, whileclearly exceeds activity versus placebo. Accordingto its possible mechanism of activity, it is consid-