Veratrum Album – White Hellebore

The mother tincture is prepared from the carefully dried rootstock of the plant Vera- trum album L., a native of Central and Southern Europe and Northern Asia.

N.O. Liliaceae.

White Hellebore (Veratrum album) contains poisonous alkaloids, of which the most important are germerine, jervine, rubijervine and protoveratrine, whose action covers principally the peripheral nerve-endings, the striated muscles, the vascular system and the heart.

In poisonings with Veratrum, initial excitement gives way to paralysis. There are violent attacks of colic with vomiting and watery diarrhoea, soon followed by col- lapse, which is typical of Veratrum Album. There is weakness and unsteadiness with coldness, pallor or cyanosis and anxiety-states. Especially typical is cold sweat on the forehead, and general cold sweating.

These poisoning symptoms may occur in asthma and other chronic diseases, espe- cially in vascular and heart disease, but may also dominate the picture in acute shock, poisonings, myocardial infarction or stroke. In every case where there is cold sweating, Veratrum Album is strictly indicated.

Nash makes reference to the fact that Veratrum Album is one of Hahnemann’s three remedies for cholera, the others being Camphora and Cuprum Metallicum. Ve- ratrum should also be thought of first of all in typhus fever, pneumonia, cholera in- fantum, or in constipation when toxic symptoms appear and there is cold sweat on the forehead; likewise in states of collapse and syncope. The dehydration resulting from copious diarrhoea like rice-water, with extremely violent cutting pains, leads to muscle-cramps, particularly in the calf-muscles, and complete exhaustion after vom- iting and purging.

In many cases Veratrum Album can also bring about a surprising improvement in aphthous ulcers of the tongue in stomatitis or glossitis, especially when there is burning, salivation and a bitter taste as of bile.

All complaints are aggravated at night in the warmth of the bed, and also by cold food and drink and in damp weather. There is also a back-lash aggravation, e.g. in puerperal mania or hystero-epilepsy when the menses cease or sweating is sup- pressed, or also as a consequence of fright, fear, anger and vexation. However, there is an amelioration from walking about and from getting up.

The mental and emotional symptoms are also characteristic. There is mania, in- cluding nymphomania and puerperal mania, or melancholia with excitement or with outbursts of temper and rage, alternating with sadness, lack of courage, despondency and silence, or else with cheerful, happy liveliness and erotic phantasies. In states of excitement there may be an irresistible urge to cut up or tear up various objects, e.g. paper or clothing, and this may be accompanied by lascivious or frivolous remarks, dirty jokes and a crude turn of phrase. This great intensity and loquacity, the patient possibly talking to him/herself incessantly but falling silent if anyone else enters the room, is characteristic of Veratrum Album and is seen, e.g., in delirium tremens or Korsakov’s psychosis.

There may also be delirium linked with delusions of grandeur and apprehension, as though something terrible lay ahead, possibly with loss of memory and a sensa- tion as though everything were a dream.

Veratrum Album is indicated for a whole series of other symptoms, e.g. sneezing and hallucinations of smell with dry, sore nasal mucosa, shivering, heat and out- bursts of sweating in succession, chill while sweating, intermittent fever with col- lapse, palpitations with fear, cardiac collapse and fainting attacks, thready pulse, and asthmatic constriction of the chest.

On the skin there is itching, formication and herpes. Pustules and eruptions like urticaria may also be present.

As in Sanguinaria the mucosa of eyes, nose, mouth, pharynx and stomach may be red and dry with a violent burning sensation and possible occurrence of haemor- rhages.

In rheumatic pain Veratrum Album, like Valeriana, can have a beneficial effect.

Generally low potencies (4X to 6X) are used, and particularly in states of collapse these have an excellent effect, although higher potencies (30X and above) likewise act well in particular cases.

If the symptoms are summed up, the following are the main features of the reme- dy-picture of Veratrum Album:

1. Cold sweating, especially on the forehead, but also occurring on the body. States of collapse in asthma, circulatory and heart-disease, apoplexy, after accidents (traumatic shock), in gastrointestinal illnesses and colic, myocardial infarction.
2. Aphthous stomatitis. Cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea, acute gastroenteritis.
3. Muscular cramps, particularly in the calves, may occur at night or following se- vere diarrhoea (cholera), or in consequence of fright, fear, vexation or anger.
4. Back-lash effects of suppressed menstruation, lochia etc. in the form of excited states with mania, hystero-epilepsy, nymphomania. Korsakov’s psychosis. Ten- dency to tear up and destroy paper, clothes and other objects. Violence. Episodes

of rage. Lascivious talk. Sexual excitement. Religious mania. Talking to oneself. Otherwise silent.

• All kinds of colic with cold sweat in pearls on the forehead, with internal burning and thirst for large quantities of cold water.
• Aggravation in damp weather, at rest and in the warmth of the bed; amelioration when up and moving about.

The German Monograph-Preparation Commission for the Homoeopathic Field of Therapy has, under the Preparation Monograph for Veratrum album, published the following indication(s) in the German Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) for veratrum: threatening circulatory failure associated with infectious diseases; diar- rhoea; neuralgia; emotional distress associated with an increase in drive.