Veratrum. [Veratrum Album. U. S.] White Hellebore. The rhizome of Veratrum album; Lin. Syst., Polygamia monoecia; growing in the Pyrenees and Alps. (Not officinal.)

Description. The rhizome is met with in conical truncated pieces, about two or three inches long, and about one inch in diameter, with numerous radicles proceeding from it; yellowish-brown and wrinkled on the outside, light-coloured within, with little odour when dry, but an acrid bitter taste.

Prop. & Comp. White Hellebore contains the alkaloid, veratria, united with an acid formerly considered to be gallic acid, probably veratric.

Prep. Vinum Veratri, Lond. 1851. Wine of White Hellebore. (White hellebore, sliced, eight ounces; sherry wine, two pints. Macerate for seven days, and strain.)

Therapeutics. Veratrum acts as a powerful emetic and drastic purgative, causing much thirst and irritation of the alimentary canal; when applied to the mucous membranes of the nose, intense sneezing results; and on the skin it also acts as a topical irritant. It is not much employed as a remedy at the present time, but was formerly given in cerebral affections, as mania, epilepsy, etc. It has been proposed as a remedy in gout, in lieu of colchicum, but from the author's experience of its effects, he is sure that its action differs completely from that of colchicum; it appears to produce a burning sensation of the oesophagus, parched mouth, and intense thirst, accompanied by great depression, without any alleviation of the gouty symptoms. Externally veratrum is used in scabies, and occasionally in obstinate skin affections, in the form of the Compound Sulphur Ointment of the London Pharmacopoeia, 1851. Dose. Of vinum veratri, 10 min. to 20 min.

Veratrum Viride. The rhizome of Veratrum viride; American or Green Hellebore; called also Swamp Hellebore and Indian Poke; growing in the marshes and swampy districts of North America. (Not officinal.) [Officinal in U. S. P.]

Description. The rhizome is thick and fleshy, and sends off numerous pale yellow radicles; it resembles closely, in appearance and sensible properties, Veratrum album; it has a peculiar acrid taste, and produces the same sensation of tingling about the fauces as the white hellebore.

Prop. & Comp. The rhizome has been as yet but imperfectly examined; it is, however, stated to contain veratria; at any rate, the alkaloid obtained from it causes the intense local irritation and sneezing produced by that principle; in its chemical reaction also, it appears to resemble the active principle from the sabadilla seeds.

[Tinctura Veratri Viridis. Tincture of American Hellebore. U S.]

Prep. A tincture has been made with eight ounces of the dried root to sixteen fluid ounces of the spirit; also an extract from the fresh juice.

[Extractum Veratri Viridis Fluidum. Fluid extract of American Hellebore. U. S. Three pints of tincture obtained by percolation from sixteen ounces of American Hellebore, are evaporated to sixteen fluid ounces.]

Therapeutics. Veratrum viride appears to act upon the system in a manner very analogous to Veratrum album, causing the topical irritation, as shown by the dryness of the fauces and vomiting; and after absorption, it produces extreme depression of the heart, arterial and nervous systems; it has been stated to differ from white hellebore in not causing purging, but cases are on record of poisoning with white hellebore without the occurrence of this symptom. Possibly the production of purging may depend on the form in which it is given, whether in substance or solution. Veratrum viride is asserted to be a valuable agent in controlling the 24 vascular system in cases of inflammatory disease, and especially in rheumatic fever, gout, and allied affections. The depression and slowness of the pulse appear to be characteristic symptoms of its action.

Dose. Of the powdered rhizome, 1 gr. to 3 gr. or more; of the tincture, 5 min. to 15 min. or more; of the extract (made from the fresh juice) 1/4 gr. to 3/4 gr. or more. [Of the fluid extract, 3 to 8 minims.]

This drug should be used with caution, and any symptom of depression carefully watched for.

Sabadilla. Cevadilla. The dried fruits of Asagroea officinalis; Lin. Syst., Hexandria trigynia; imported from Vera Cruz and Mexico.

Veratria. An alkaloid obtained from Cevadilla; not quite pure.

Description. The fruit is about 1/2 an inch long, consisting of 3 light brown papyraceous follicles, each containing from 1 to 3 seeds, which are about 1/4 of an inch long, blackish-brown, shining, slightly winged, with an intensely bitter acrid taste. Veratria occurs in the form of a white or dirty-white powder.

Prop. & Comp. The cevadilla fruit owes its virtues to the alkaloid veratria, which is almost insoluble in water, sparingly soluble in ether, but freely soluble in alcohol, and readily so in dilute acids, leaving traces of an insoluble brown resinoid matter. It has no odour, but a strongly and persistently bitter and highly acrid taste. Veratria is crystalline, and can be obtained in long needles from an alcoholic solution; though the veratria used in medicine is always in an amorphous state. The formula of the pure alkaloid is (C64 H52 N2 O16). It causes violent sneezing when applied to the nostrils. Brought into contact with strong sulphuric acid it assumes an intense red colour, and with nitric acid forms a yellow solution. The veratria of commerce is said to contain another principle, sabadillina, insoluble in ether, in which it differs from veratria; it does not excite sneezing. Gallic acid appears to be united with veratria in the cevadilla fruit.

Off. Prep. - Of Veratria. Unguentum Veratria. Ointment of Veratria. (Veratria, eight grains; prepared lard, one ounce; olive oil, half a fluid drachm.) [Veratria, twenty grains; lard, a troy ounce. U. S.]

Veratria. The alkaloid is ordered to be made by macerating cevadilla with boiling distilled water, then drying and separating the seeds, which are ground in a coffee-mill, and thoroughly exhausted with rectified spirit. The alcoholic solution is concentrated so long as no deposit forms, and then poured, when hot, into twelve times its bulk of cold distilled water. The precipitate thus formed is removed by filtration, and washed; and to the filtered liquid ammonia is added in slight excess, the precipitate allowed completely to subside, then collected on a filter and washed; while still moist, it is diffused through distilled water, and sufficient hydrochloric acid is added to make the fluid acid. It is then digested with animal charcoal, filtered, re-precipitated with ammonia, the precipitate washed on a filter till the washings cease to be affected by a solution of nitrate of silver acidulated with nitric acid, and finally dried by imbibition and on a steam bath.