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 | Hellebore (White) Other Names: Veratrum Lobelianium. Veratrum Californicum. Weiszer Germer
Botanical Name: Veratrum album
Family: N.O. Lilaceae |
Description: |
Veratrum album closely resembles the American species, but is distinguished by its yellowish-white flower.
The fresh rhizome has an alliaceous odour, but when dried it has no marked smell. Its taste is first sweet, then bitter and acrid, leaving the tongue tingling and numb. Its powder is ash-coloured. White Hellebore deteriorates by keeping. It is scarcely ever used internally owing to the severity of its action. It is stated to have been one of the principal poisons used in Europe for arrows, daggers, etc. |
Habitat: |
| Europe, from Lapland to Italy. Does not occur in the British Isles. |
Constituents: |
| Authorities differ as to the presence or absence of the veratria of cevadilla. It contains jervine, pseudo-jer-vine, rubijervine, veratralbine and veratrine. Cevadine is stated to be absent. There is fatty matter, composed of olein, stearin and a volatile acid, supergallate of Veratia, yellow colouring matter, starch ligneous matter, and gum; the ashes contain much phosphate and carbonate of lime, carbonate of potassa and some traces of silica, and sulphate of lime. There has been found in it a white, crystalline, fusible and inflammable substance called barytin, of which the properties have not been thoroughly investigated. |
Medicinal Usage: |
A violent, irritant poison. When snuffed up the nose it occasions profuse running of the nose; when swallowed, severe vomiting and profuse diarrhoea. It was formerly used in cerebral affections, such as mania, epilepsy, etc., and for gout, as a substitute for colchicum or the Eau Mediciale of Husson, when 3 parts of the wine of White Hellebore added to 1 part of laudanum was given in doses of from 1/2 fluid drachm to 2 fluid drachms.
It is occasionally used in the form of an ointment or decoction in obstinate skin diseases such as scabies, or to kill lice, but even this use is not free from danger. It is also occasionally used as an errhine or sternutatory, diluted with starch or other mild powder, in cases of amaurosis and chronic affections of the brain.
The principal use of the plant is in veterinary medicine. |
Ancient Lore: |
HELLEBORE (White)
VERATRUM VIRIDE
A very harsh medicine and should be given with caution
.This is American Hellebore or Indian Poke. It is a perennial with large single flowers, green but paler than the leaves, with white buttons in their centres.Where to find it: In woods, swamps and rnoist meadows. Flowering time: Early spring.
Astrology: A cold, saturnine plant.
Medicinal virtues: It possesses the virtues of Black Hellebore but to an inferior degree. The leaves are given dried and powdered to those of robust habits. It ought not to be given to pregnant women.
Modern uses: This is another poisonous plant which is used medicinally, but must be administered with great caution. It is a cardiac depressant, and has emetic and purgative side-effects. It is not prescribed by herbalists, but orthodox medicine uses the alkaloids from the plant in anti-hypertensive drugs. A homoeopathic tincture is used for the treatment of liver disorders.A close relative of the American Hellebore is the False Hellebore (Veratrum album). This is also an irritant poison. |
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