Botanic Remedies 185 



the womb and ovaries, except as noted under 

 "Helonias," q. v. 



HELLEBORUS 



BLACK HELLEBORE, Helleborus niger. Official in 

 Belgium and Mexico. Belongs to the digitalis 

 group, as it contains helleborin and helleborein, but 

 is too irritant to be used as a cardiac remedy, at 

 least for long. 



PHARMACOLOGY. A drastic, hydrogogue cathartic, 

 and somewhat emetic. Overdoses cause death in 

 convulsions. The fresh root is vesicant. Helleborin 

 is an acrid narcotic and paralyzant. In compara- 

 tively small doses helleborus is diuretic. This latter 

 action has given helleborus some reputation in the 

 treatment of dropsy. It is employed in Homeopathic 

 practice in meningitis with exudation, meningeal 

 effusions, anasarca following scarlet fever, etc., 

 using minute doses of the tincture. The active prin- 

 ciple, helleborin, is rarely used. Helleborein, however, 

 is used as a heart tonic. 



Theoretically a good argument can be made for 

 helleborus, especially in the treatment of cardiac 

 dropsy. Small doses really do have a positive digi- 

 talis action, resembling the action of apocynum, 

 q. v. Apocynum is to be preferred to it. 



I have used this drug in the past, when it was 

 more in vogue, and even then abandoned its use. 

 Possibly it may serve well in some cases; but I was 

 never able to judge in which ones its use is justifiable. 

 Small doses often disappoint utterly; but when the 

 dose is run up to the point of the effectiveness the 

 irritant action appears. I understand from other 

 physicians that they have had similar experiences. 



