VERATRUM ALBUM
-Synonyms---Veratrum Lobelianium. Veratrum Californicum. Weiszer Germer. Weisze Nieszwurzel.
---Habitat---Europe, from Lapland to Italy. Does not occur in the British Isles.
---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.
---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 Action and Uses---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.
---Poisons, if any, and Antidotes---Narcotic symptoms, such as stupor and convulsions, appear in addition to vomiting and diarrhcea, when the dose is fatal. The poison may be treated by drinks and injections of coffee, stimulants to overcome the depressed condition of the heart and arteries, and opiates and demulcents to relieve internal inflammation.
HOMEOPATHIC PICTURE VERATRUM ALBUM White Hellebore
A perfect picture of collapse, with extreme coldness, blueness, and weakness, is offered by this drug. Post- operative shock with cold sweat on forehead, pale face, rapid, feeble pulse. Cold perspiration on the forehead, with nearly all complaints. Vomiting, purging, and cramps in extremities. The profuse, violent retching and vomiting is most characteristic. Surgical shock. Excessive dryness of all mucous surfaces. "Coprophagia" violent mania alternates with silence and refusal to talk.
Mind.--Melancholy, with stupor and mania. Sits in a stupid manner; notices nothing; Sullen indifference. Frenzy of excitement; shrieks, curses. Puerperal mania. Aimless wandering from home. Delusions of impending misfortunes. Mania, with desire to cut and tear things (Tarant). Attacks of pain, with delirium driving to madness. Cursing, howling all night.
Head.--Contracted features. Cold sweat on forehead. Sensation of a lump of ice on vertex. Headache, with nausea, vomiting, diarrhœa, pale face. Neck too weak to hold head up.
Eyes.--Surrounded by dark rings. Staring; turned upwards, without luster. Lachrymation with redness. Lids dry heavy.
Face.--Features sunken. Icy coldness of tip of nose and face. Nose grows more pointed. Tearing in cheeks, temples, and eyes. Face very pale, blue, collapsed, cold.
Mouth.--Tongue pale, cold; cool sensation, as from peppermint. Dry in center not relieved by water. Salty saliva. Toothache, teeth feel heavy as if filled with lead.
Stomach.--Voracious appetite. Thirst for cold water, but is vomited as soon asswallowed. Averse to warm food. Hiccough. Copious vomiting and nausea; aggravated by drinking and least motion. Craves fruit, juicy and cold things, ice, salt. Anguish in pit of stomach. Great weakness after vomiting. Gastric irritability with chronic vomiting of food.
Abdomen.--Sinking and empty feeling. Cold feeling in stomach and abdomen. Pain in abdomen preceding stool. Cramps, knotting abdomen and legs. Sensation as if hernia would protrude (Nux). Abdomen sensitive to pressure, swollen with terrible colic.
Rectum.--Constipation from inactivity of rectum, with heat and headache. Constipation of babies, and when produced by very cold weather. Stools large, with much straining until exhausted, with cold sweat. Diarrhœa, very painful, watery, copious, and forcibly evacuated, followed by great prostration. Evacuations of cholera morbus and true cholera when vomiting accompanies the purging.
Respiratory.--Hoarse, weak voice. Rattling in chest. Much mucus in bronchial tubes, that cannot be coughed up. Coarse rales. Chronic bronchitis in the aged (Hippozanin). Loud barking, stomach cough, followed by eructation of gas; worse, warm room. Hollow cough, tickling low down, with blue face. Cough comes on from drinking, especially cold water; urine escapes when coughing. Cough on entering warm room from cold air (Bryonia).
Heart.--Palpitation with anxiety and rapid audible respiration. Pulse irregular, feeble. Tobacco heart from chewing. Intermittent action of heart in feeble persons with some hepatic obstruction. One of the best heart stimulants in homeopathic doses (J. S. Mitchell).
Female.--Menses too early; profuse and exhausting. Dysmenorrhœa, with coldness, purging, cold sweat. Faints from least exertion. Sexual mania precedes menses.
Extremities.--Soreness and tenderness of joints. Sciatica; pains like electric flashes. Cramps in calves. Neuralgia in brachial plexus; arms feel swollen, cold, paralytic.
Skin.--Blue, cold, clammy, inelastic, cold as death. Cold sweat. Wrinkling of skin of hands and feet. Fever.--Chill, with extreme coldness and thirst.
Modalities.--Worse, at night; wet, cold weather. Better, walking and warmth.
Relationship.--Compare: Veratrinum-alkaloid from seeds of Sabadilla.--(electric pains, electric shocks in muscles, fibrillary twitchings); Cholos terrepina (cramps in calves); Camph; Cupr; Ars; Cuprum ars (intermittent, cold, clammy sweat); Narcissus poeticus (gastro-enteritis with much griping and cutting pain in bowels. Fainting, trembling, cold limbs, small and irregular pulse); Trychosanthes--(diarrhœa, pain in liver, dizziness after every stool); Agaric emetic (vertigo; longing for ice-cold water; burning pains in stomach); Agaric phalloides (cholera, cramps in stomach, cold extremities, urine suppressed). Veratrine (Increased vascular tension. It relaxes it and stimulates the elimination of toxins by skin, kidneys, and liver).