BLACK HELLEBORE-VERATRUM NIGRUM-CHRISTMAS ROSE.
Introduction
(Hellebore-helein, to injure; Bwpa, bora, food; Veratrum, hellebore)
There are several plants having the name Hellebore attached to them, we making frequent use of the European hellebore or Veratrum album, and the American, false or swamp hellebore, Veratrum viride.
There are two others that have had every slight provings and that are seldom thought of, one, the European immigrant now located on Long Island, the Helleborus viridis, or Green hellebore, which, on account of its former rarity, has been but little used in medicine, although it is, with one exception, the most poisonous species of the genus Helleborus (from millspaugh).
The other, Helleborus orientals, or Levant hellebore, occupies the highest positions a poison and it is this plant, and not our Hellebores niger, which furnished the famous medicine used by the most celebrated philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome, in the belief that it face clearness and activity to the mental faculties (from Appleton’s Cyclop.)
The back Hellebore, which we are considering is a native of the mountainous parts of southern and central Europe, and is cultivated in gardens for the sake of sits beautiful rose-like flower, which blooms in December and gives to the plant the name of the Christmas rose. In the United States its time of blooming is in the spring.
Symptoms
Hellebore was first proved by hahnemann. It produces a “bluntness of sensibility” (Allen) and is useful in a general condition of lack of reaction, a semi-paralytic condition of the system, or as Hahnemann says, in substance, the patient has eyes yet he sees not, ears yet he hears not, mouth yet he finds not the proper taste in anything. As Hering says: “A perfect picture of acute idiocy.”
Hellebore retards respiration and paralyses the heat. It first produces scanty urine and serious effusions everywhere.
This tendency to serous effusions is a very marked indication for the remedy, and it is found in almost every part of the body, and in dropsical effusions everywhere Hellebore is to be thought of, especially if the patient be stupid.
The general mental condition is one of complete stupor, in which it is very difficult to arouse the patient (182). There seems to be great physical prostration, or at least loss of control of the mind over the body, due perhaps to cerebral; effusion which is so often the accompaniment of the Hellebore condition.
It is a remedy to be thought of in “certain apathetic melancholies., with sluggish circulation and passive cerebral congestion” (Talcott), a kind of stupidity or unintelligible muttering (55).
It is of use in chronic hydrocephalus (119), with torpidity, unconsciousness, insensibility or eyes and suppression of urine (200) and especially with wrinkling of forehead and a constant motion or the jaws as if chewing; or with sudden dreams, and boring of the head in to the pillow (due to sudden shooting pains in the head), wrinkling of forehead and automatic motions of one arm or foot, such as jerking or one foot, or throwing the arm to one side or over the head.
It is also to be thought of in the sequelae of hydrocephalus, the child is idiotic, seems to want nothing, but drinks greedily when liquid is offered it.
It is useful the second stage of acute meningitis (133), when the effusion has already taken place (133), with boring of the head into the pillow, or rolling it from side to side night and day.
Hellebore is a valuable remedy for the effects of repressed exanthemata simulating hydrocephalus.
It has been used for the effects of concession of the brain and Hering cites a case that had failed to yield to Arm. and that recovered under Hellebore.
In the eyes, we have a condition sometimes noticed in meningeal troubles, where the child lies with the lids half open and the eyeballs rolled upward, showing only the whites.
In the abdomen, we find the remedy of value anisettes (11) and for general anasarca (63), especially when due to croups nephritis, and for croups nephritis (124) after any of the eruptive diseases.
We have a profuse watery diarrhoea which alternates with constipation (34) in abdominal dropsy, and in children a diarrhoea of tenacious, colorless, jelly-like mucus, looking like frog spawn, and generally associated with tenesmus (61).
Hellebore is useful in hydrothorax (29), with difficult respiration, necessity to sit up (24O and with great constriction of the chest (27) and gasping for breath.
In dropsical conditions the heart’s action is weak and the pulse small and tremulous (109).
In typhoid calling for Hellebore there is general coldness of the surface of the body and may be cold sweat, offensive breath and great sensory depression or stupor.
I use hellebore 3rd.
