136 The Black Hellebore. 



The Black Hellebore 



The Helleborus Niger — Black Hellebore, is a genus of 

 the class Polyandria, order Polygynia. Its name is derived from 

 the river Eleborus, by whose banks it grew profusely, and which 

 was so called from the deadly nature of this plant seen in those 

 who partook of it ; its Greek derivatives meaning the Bread of 

 Death. Its characters are : — calyx none ; petals five, or more ; 

 nectaries two-lipped, tubular ; capsules many-seeded. We have 

 an officinal tincture of the root of this plant, prepared by pour- 

 ing on two ounces of it, well bruised, two pints of half alcohol 

 and half water, and after macerating fourteen days, to filter. Its 

 resinous matter, volatile oil, &c, dissolve in the alcohol : and the 

 gum, albumen, &c, dissolve in the water, and we have all its 

 active properties. The dose is from thirty to sixty drops, night 

 and morning, for amenorrhoea, and less as a tonic, pro re natd. 

 This root is knotted, black on the outside, whence its name 

 niger, with many straw-like fibres, yellowish brown when fresh, 

 but much darker upon drying. The leaf-stalks are quite long, 

 springing directly from the root, bearing compound leaves, com- 

 posed of five or more ranged opposite, with a terminal one ; they 

 are smooth, very shining, and serrated on their upper portion, of 

 a leathery consistence, and ovate, lance-shape. The flower- 

 stem, like that of the leaves, springs directly from the root, to the 

 height of from seven to ten inches ; it is round, growing rather 

 smaller towards the top, and of a deep crimson at the base ; the 

 flowers are large and nodding, accompanied with floral leaves 

 to answer the place of a flower-cup. The blossom-leaves are of 

 a pale rose color, sometimes tinged with green. Phillips tells 

 us that few plants have been more celebrated by the physicians 

 of antiquity than the Hellebore, and hence it makes a conspicu- 

 ous figure in the poetical fables of early writers ; but it seems to 

 have been entirely neglected by the English poets, and there is 

 but little attention paid it by the American, who have in truth 

 enough to do to celebrate their own floral gems without minding 

 exotics. The Black Hellebore — Helleborus Niger, de- 

 mands our attention, both from the early season ol its flowering 

 and the beauty of its blossom. It is generally called the Christ- 



