BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 97 
with the Cimicifugin of the stores, which is a 
brown amorphous powder much used by the 
school of eclectic physicians. Black snake-root _ 
is sedative, alterative, emmenagogue, and may 
be given in doses from 1 to 5 grains (0.11 to 3 
grams). The tincture and fluid extract are 
officinal; the dose is from 30 to 60 drops (2.0 to 
4.0 grams), There is a local formula for the 
District of Columbia for a compound syrup. 
Helleborus, Helleborus Niger, Black Hel- 
lebore.—Natural order Ranunculacee. Also 
known by the name of Christmas Rose, so-called 
because it is in bloom about that time in Eng- 
land. It is a native of Europe, and cultivated 
in the gardens for its flower. The stem of the 
Hellebore rises to a height of 12 inches (30 cen- 
timeters) with pedate evergreen leaves having 
five ovate lanceolate divisions and leathery in 
texture. The flowers are handsome pinkish- 
white tinged with green, about the size of a sin- 
gle rose, stamens 30 to 60 in number, with many 
pistils, seeds black and shining, and umbilicated. 
The root is the only part used in medicine. The 
rhizome as it occurs in commerce is knotty, 
black in color and very irregular in shape, about 
2 inches (5 centimeters) long, more or less, and 
about 2-5 of an inch (1 centimeter) thick, and 
having many curved branches orradicles. The 
Hellebore rhizome does not break easily, but 
when broken presents internally under a glass 
of some power many wood wedges within a cir- 
cular zone and many broad pithy rays. Odor, 
none; taste, at first bitter, then sweet, after- 
ward acrid. The close resemblance of the root 
to that of the Cimicifuga Racemosa, requires 
