RHIZOMA VERATEI VIRIDIS. 695 



the VeratrouUne, discovered by Bullock (1876) in Veratnnn vinde. 

 Tobien assigns to jervine the formula C^'ff'N^O^; that of veratroidine 

 is not yet settled. The latter is to some extent soluble in water. 

 Weppen (1872) has isolated from this drug Verahxtmai^in, a>t 



an amor- 



phous, deliquescent, bitter principle. It occurs in minute quantity only, 

 and is resolvable into sugar and other products. Veratramarin dissolves 

 in water or spirit of wine, not in ether or in chloroform. The same 

 observer has also isolated, to the extent of | per mille, Jervic Acid in 

 hard crystals of considerable size,i of the composition C^^ff''0'' + 2 WO. 

 The acid requires 100 parts of water for solution at the ordinary tem- 

 perature, and a little less of boiling alcohol. ■ It is decidedly acid, and 

 forms well-defined cry s tall izable salts, containing 4 atoms of the 



monovalent metals. 



By exhausting the entire rhizome (roots included) with ether and 

 anhydrous alcohol, we obtained 25-8 per cent, of soft resin, which 

 deserves further examination. Pectic matter to the amount of 10 per 

 cent, was pointed out by Wiegand in 1841. 



According to Schroff (1860), in the rootlets the active principle 

 resides in the cortical part, the woody central portion being inert. He 

 also asserts that the rhizome acts less strongly than the rootlets, and m 

 a somewhat different manner. 



Co'mmerce-^The drug is imported from Germany in bales. The 

 price-currents distinguish Siviss ^w^ Austrian, and generally name the 

 drug as '' without Jihre:' 



Uses-Verab'um is an emetic and drastic purgative, rai-ely used 

 internally. It is occasionally employed in the form of omtment m 

 scabies. Its principal consumption is in vetez-inary medicme. 



Substitutes-The rhizome of the Austrian Vercdrum nijjnim^^^ 

 said to be sometimes collected insteadof White Hellebore; it is otm^^^^ 

 smaller size, and, according to Schroff, less potent That <>*^^f ^^^^^^^^^ 

 Beloniasfrigida Lindley (7erci«mm frigidum Schl.) appeais to exactly 



resemble that of Verafrum album. 



r 



RHIZOMA VERATRI VIRIDIS. 



American White Hellebore.^ Indian Poke. 



, Botanical Origin-Femtmm viride Alton, \V}^f^^^;!ll,'2'^l 

 closely resembling V. alU.n of which '^^^^^^ ^£: irtZiZnl 

 In fact, the green-coloured variety of the ^^"''^^^i '^.^ „f th„ Alps 

 Bernh.), a plant not uncommon in the moun tern ^^^^^Ihh to point 

 coines so nL- to the American F. Me hat ^ve are "-W ^o^^P^^^^ 

 out any important character by which the two can ut i ^^^ 



. ; For good specimens of which I am ^'""'f^'^'r^^lreK^^^ii- wWte nTe'alinesa. 



indebted to Dr. Weppen.-F. A. F. "^f «"'^„ xx'ii (1808) tab. 1006.-Kegel 



-Ibe name Green J-Iellehorc is sometimes tioU f""J- , f I varieties of Veratrum 



applied to this drug, but it properly belongs has '^''t roccurring in the region of the 



to nelkb„rus virid% L. , which is meAicm^l alhum I^' ^,.°"^ Xurland, one of which, 



'n ^^ome parts of Europe. Lower UBSun^»'«; ^^^i ji^j ^^^^ ^,^^ ^^^ri. 



'5ims in contrasting rcra<n(»i«W?e with ^'^^■-.J'' ■■,. __reiUcimenFloneUssurieMis, 



K album observes that tlie flowers of the ?Pt. 'fo'X'nei 153. 

 former are "more inclined to a yellow green," St. P<^tersb. 17bl. 



'he petals broader and more erect, with the 



