PAKT II.

Materia Medica. — Veronica Beccahmga.

,545

hairy styles, crowned with flat spreading stigmas. The capsulescontain many compressed membranous seeds.

Although the root only is officinal, yet every part of theplant is extremely acrid and poisonous.

Qualifies. — The recent root has a strong disagreeable odour,and a bitterish, very acrid, permanent taste; but the odour islost by drying. The dry root, as found in the shops, is sliced,the thick part transversely, and the fibrous, longitudinally.The pieces have a dry, corrugated, yellowish grey appearance,and break with a short starchy fracture. They are inodorous,and have a slightly bitter taste. When very light and spongy,they must be rejected. The experiments of M. M. Pelletierand Caventou have proved, that white Hellebore owes its medi-cinal properties to veratrine, the same alkaline principle whichhas already been described as the active ingredient in Colchi-cum. The following are the components of white Hellebore,according to their analysis ; a fatty matter, composed of elaine,stearine, and ammonia, acidulous gallate of veratrine, a yellowcolouring matter, starch, gum, and lignin. >

Medical properties and uses. —White Hellebore is a violentcathartic, emetic, and sternutatory. When taken internally,even in moderate doses, its operation is violent and dangerous;producing, besides hypercatharsis, with bloody stools andexcessive vomiting, great anxiety, tremors, vertigo, syncope,sinking of the pulse, cold sweats, and convulsions, terminating,if the dose be large, in death. Its external application to anulcerated surface also produces griping and purging. Not-withstanding these effects, Veratrum has been exhibited inter-nally, and with advantage in mania, epilepsis, scabies, lepra,and obstinate herpetic eruptions. 2 But the most ordinary useof white Hellebore is as a local stimulant; either as an adjunctto errhine powders in lethargic cases and gutta serena; or inthe form of decoction as a wash, or mixed with lard as an oint-ment, in scabies and herpetic eruptions. In every form, how-ever, it requires to be used with caution; and even as anerrhine, its acrimony should always be obtunded by mixing itwith some mild powder, as that of liquorice root or of starch.The dose of the powdered root should not exceed grs. ij; andfor errhine purposes grs. ij or iij should be diluted with grs. xijof liquorice powder, and a pinch of it snuffed up the nose forseveral successive evenings. W T hen taken internally as apoison, the best antidote is a strong infusion of nut-galls.

Officinal preparations. Decoctum Veratri, L. Tinctura Veratrialbi, E. Unguentum Veratri, L. Ung. Sulphur, comp., L.

VERONICA. Spec. Plant. Willd. i. 54.

1 Journ. Ue Pfiarm. Aout, 1820.

i Medical Communications, i, 297,

N J*