THE ST. JOHN'S- WORT. 103 



sneer the very undeniable truth that faith accelerates 



a cure : 



" But this is only sweet and delicate 

 Fit for young women, and is like the herb St. John, 

 Doth neither good, nor hurt : but that's all one ; 

 For if they but conceive it doth, it doth, 

 And it is that physicians hold the chief 

 In all their cures conceit and strong belief." 



Another writer, quoted in the "Anatomy of Melan- 

 choly/' recommends it under the name of. Hyperion, 

 to be gathered "on a Friday in the hour of Jupiter, 

 when it comes to his effectual operation (which is 

 at the full rnoon in July) : so gathered, or borne, or 

 hung about the neck, it mightily helps this afflic- 

 tion (melancholy), and drives away all phantasticall 

 spirits." 



The juice of these plants resembles gamboge, both 

 in colour and properties ; so that the H. baccatum 

 and other species occurring in Guiana, where the fer- 

 vour of a tropical sun gives intensity to their powers, 

 are commonly known by the name of "American 

 gamboge ; " and mixed with turpentine and olive oil 

 they are said to form the " oil of St. John's- wort," 

 which is used medicinally. 



The Welsh name, Llys perfigedd, refers to the 

 anthelmintic properties of which we have spoken ; 

 perfigedd being a term applied to a disease produced 

 by worms in cattle. 



The young tops and flowers of all the species 

 afford, in their resinous juice, a useful dye. It is per- 

 fectly soluble in water, alcohol, and vinegar ; pro- 

 ducing with the first two, a deep blood-red colour, 

 and with the last, a pure bright crimson : or, if com- 



