_Veratrum Album._ (Polygamia—Monæcia—_Nat. Ord._ Coronariæ.
_Linn._—Junci. _Juss._)
This is undoubtedly the true hellebore of the ancients. It is a native
of the mountainous parts of Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and Russia.
Those specimens which are cultivated in our gardens flower in July. The
root is the only part employed in medicine, but every part of the plant
is extremely acrid and poisonous. Upon the animal œconomy it acts as a
violent cathartic and emetic; producing bloody stools, excessive
vomitings, great anxiety, vertigo, tremors, sinking of the pulse,
syncope, cold sweats, convulsions, and death. There are many cases on
record, where such effects have followed the ingestion of this plant.
_Helmont_ reports that a royal prince died in the course of three hours
after taking a scruple of this poison, which induced convulsions; and
_Vicat_[403] relates the case of a tailor, his wife, children, and
workmen, who having taken soup, in which, through mistake, the root of
white hellebore had been introduced instead of pepper, were seized with
a universal coldness, and such extreme debility, as to become nearly
insensible. At the expiration of two hours, the eldest child, who was
not four years of age, began to vomit copiously, but with considerable
straining; the rest were shortly after in the same condition. _Vicat_,
who was called in at this critical period, ordered them to take a
considerable quantity of warm water and oil; shortly after which he
administered an infusion of mallow sweetened with honey; by which means,
we are informed, they were relieved, and ultimately restored. According
to the testimony of various physiologists, as well as from the
experiments of _Orfila_, it appears that this plant, if externally
applied, will produce the same effects. _Etmuller_ says, that the
external application of the root to the abdomen will produce vomiting;
and _Schroeder_ observed the same phenomenon to take place in a case
where it was used as a suppository; the juice of the plant has been also
applied to the purpose of poisoning arrows. It must, therefore, act by
being absorbed into the circulating current, thereby destroying the
energy of the nervous system. It accordingly finds a place in the second
division of our classification. Late experiments upon this substance
have shewn that its activity depends upon a peculiar alkaline principle,
to which the name of _veratria_[404] has been given; and that it exists
in native combination with an excess of gallic acid, (_super-gallate of
veratria_).
When taken internally, as a poison, the most effectual antidote is said
to be a very strong infusion of nut-galls.