J 
30 
\ ' 
\ 
peduncles; each petal is of an irregular oval fliape, and on the under 
fide near the ape 
marked with many hlackilh dots 
the caly 
niifts of five perfiftent acute leaves ; the ftamina are numerous and 
commonly 
their bafes 
three portions,' or bundl 
es 
the 
antheras are yellow, and marked with a fmall black gland;* the 
ftyli are three, and the capfule has thi 
which 
many 
fmall oblong brownilh feeds. It grows commonly in woods and 
ed ground 
andfl 
owers 
Bergius defcribes the Hypericum quadrangulum inflead of the per 
foratum; and thinks it the better officinal pi 
In pharmacop 
liis noftris indifcrete colligunt Hypericum perforatum & quadrang 
lum 
quod perinde quoque effe poterit, cum ambse f 
grecantia gerant ; quadrangulum vero plurima 
"a 
punda 
Hypericum has 
great 
' % 
a bitterifli fubaftringent tafte, and a fweetifh fmell. It was 
repute with the antients,who prefcribed it inhyfleria,hypochondrTafi 
and mania: they alfo imagined that it had the peculiar power of 
curing demoniacks, and thence obtained the name oiFuga damomim'^ 
it was alfo recommended internally for wounds,bruifes, ulcers, haemop- 
tyfis, midus cruentus, gravel, dyfentery, agues, worms,' and outwardly 
as an anodyne, and as a difcutient and detergent. However it is now 
very rarely ufed, and its name is omitted in the Materia Medica of the 
lall edition of the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia. In the London Pharraa-' 
ntaining the 
^ 
opceia the flowers only are direded to be ufed, as 
greateft proportion of the refmous oily matter in which the medicai 
efficacy of the plant is fuppofed to refide. The dark punda of the 
petals and the capfules, afford this effential oil, which is contained in 
minute veficle 
's; 
d to exprelTed 
glands, and gives a red colour to redified fpirit 
the latter has been long known in the ihop 
r 
- <7 
"* 
hj the name of Oleum Hyp 
\ f 
^ 
h 
* Mr. Curtis obferves, that a little black gland on the anthera, diflinguifhes 
fpecies at one view. Flor. Lond. 
gius Mat. Med. 641. 
Matthiol 
fuiHtu flatim 
.1 
Haller. 
Apparat. vol. 3. p. 518. 
Mat. Med. vol. 2. p, 150, . Bergi 
Murray 
This colouring matter gives a good die 
Gadd. I. c. aliiqi 
- 1 
** 
V 
