AMERICAN OR FALSE HELLEBORE.
Introduction
To Dr. E.M.Hale, of Chicago, is dye a great deal of our knowledge concerning this remedy. He first suggested to Dr. Burt that a proving should be made and, he continues, “in 1864 Dr. Burt made an experiment with massive doses. It is one of the most heroic provings in our literature. Had we extended provings of the drugs, made with the attenuations, our knowledge of its remedial powers would be greatly increased.”
This latter statement of Dr.Hale’s is a significant one, for no matter now much we may differ in our theories as regards the value of potencies, it is a fact, concerning which there can be
no question, that many of our finer symptoms and those of the greatest value top us, are brought out only a provings made with minute quantities of the drug, rather than by the use of massive doses.
“Although Verat v. is very much like the album of Europe in its minor points, our species is strikingly different in general appearance” (Millspaugh).
“Chemists tell us that the two, the album and the viride, possess similar constituent principle; but we as homoeopaths know from our Provings that there are wide differences between the two drugs and that they are used in almost diverse conditions. “We never use Veratrum a. for fever, and rarely, if every, the viride for choleraic symptoms or collapse ” (Hale).
Symptoms
Verat, vir. is a powerful respiratory poison, paralyzing the spinal cord and the reflex-motor nerve-centres and causes intense hyperaemia and congestion. “It paralyzes the cardiac ganglia and the heart muscle, so that the heart after death is relaxed and full of coagulated blood, it acting on the heart in a manner the reverse of digit.” (Hale).
Hyperaemia or congestion is our key-note in the use of verat. vir.
Mentally we find either a furious delirium, with screaming, howling an and striking at those about her, or “she grows sullen, suspicious and distrustful; she thinks that she will be poisoned (53) or that she will become insane” (Talcott) (131) and it is of value in puerperal mania (129). We also have delirium, with constant muttering (55), dilated pupils (76) and congested face (207).
In all conditions involving the brain we find a state of cerebral hyperaemia, and it is of value for the effects of sun- stroke (98), for apoplexy (18), convulsions, cerebro-spinal meningitis (133), hystero-epilepsy (120), etc., characterized by great cerebral congestion and besotted face.
It has been used with success for the effects of opium poisoning.
The headaches of Veratrum vir. are severe, with congestion of blood to the head and throbbing (102), stupefaction and vertigo, double vision (77), nausea and vomiting.
Veratrum vir., is useful in acute inflammation of the middle ear (63), with great congestion and in erysipelatous inflammation (68) of the ear, eyeballs or whole head, especially when due to trauma.
The tongue is dry, feels scalded (140), and has a red stripe through the center (192), a nd this when associated with a bloated, livid face, is a characteristic indication fort he remedy.,
An important use for Veratrum vir is in pneumonia in the early state (150) before hepatization has taken place; when we have intense pulmonary congestion, great arterial excitement and high fever. There would be great difficulty in breathing, hard, full pulse, throbbing headache and livid face.
It is useful in all forms o inflammation, including rheumatism, endocarditis and pericarditis, cellulitis and peritonitis, with high fever and symptoms of intense congestion.
Another important use for the remedy is on the sexual organs of women. It is of value in pelvic congestions, and for dysmenorrhoea and suppression of the menses (134), especially in plethoric women, with great suffering, congested face and head and may be convulsions (36).
It is to be thought of in rigid os during labor (154), with full bounding pulse and headache, In puerperal fever (155) and puerperal convulsions (155) it is of great value, the congested head and livid face being our prominent guides in its selection.
i use Veratrum vir, in the tincture.
