acrid, nauseous, and bitterish taste, exciting a sense 

 of heat and numbness in the tongue, and of a nau- 

 seous acrid smell. These fibres only are used in 

 medicine, and the head and decayed parts are re- 

 jected. For the roots of the real black hellebore, 

 the roots of the Adonis vernalis, Trollius Europaeus, 

 Acteea spicata, Astrantia major, Helleborus viridis 

 fcetidus, Veratrum album, and Aconitum neomon- 

 tanum are often substituted. The last is a most 

 virulent poison, and may be distinguished by its 

 roots being fusiform, or nearly globular, sending out 

 numerous very brittle fibres, of a greyish black or 

 brown colour, as thick as a man's finger, and re- 

 peatedly divided." 



If the virtues of this plant, like those of many 

 others, were formerly too much extolled, they are 

 probably now undeservedly neglected ; it is indeed 

 to be regretted that the study of medical botany has, 

 of late years, made so little progress ; or, it may 

 rather be said, that in the last age it should have so 

 far declined. Modern chemists are, however, show- 

 ing the potent effects of condensed vegetable pro- 

 perties, which promises fair to constitute a new era 

 in medical knowledge. 



In a moist situation, where a little peat has been 

 mixed with the soil, this plant flowers abundantly ; 

 and the flower stems will grow higher, and the 

 blossoms be altogether improved by the assistance 

 of a hand glass, which may be placed over them on 

 four small pots, so as to admit a free current of air 

 underneath. It is readily increased by dividing 

 the roots, which is best effected in the early part of 

 autumn. 



Hort. Kew. 2, v. 3, 360. 



