Osgood's Observations on the Veratrum Viride. 207 
few of my professional brethren who, after an extensive use 
of this article were not led to consider it unsafe, as occasion- 
ally accumulating upon the system, and producing hypercath- 
arsis and prostration, which no medication could relieve. 
There is still another reason why the Veratrum viride is 
preferable — being indigenous, it can always be obtained in its 
recent state, and therefore of uniform activity, while the Eu- 
ropean species being often collected at improper seasons, and 
imported in the form of powder, is liable to much variation in 
strength, and is occasionally inert. Professor Tully, whose 
authority I have before quoted, thus enumerates the operative 
effects of this plant. 1st. Deobstruent or alterative. 2d. Acrid 
narcotic. 3d. Emetic. 4th. Epispastic. 5th. Errhine. In 
doses as large as the stomach will bear without nausea, its 
deobstruent operation is manifested by a gradual and general 
change in the secernent and absorbent system, correcting 
vitiated secretions, and promoting those which are deficient. 
As secondary or subordinate parts of its deobstruent opera- 
tion, it is resolvent, producing resolution of inflammations by 
internal use; antipsoraic, having the power of removing cer- 
tain cutaneous affections; cholegogue, producing an increase 
in the biliary secretion; expectorant, promoting the excretion 
of fluids from the bronchial membrane; diuretic, causing a 
moderate increase in the secretion of urine : discutient, pos- 
sessing the power of dispersing tumours from local applica- 
tion; and finally, sialogogue, producing a decided increase in 
the secretion of the salivary glands, both from topical and in- 
ternal use. This latter operation is much more prominent in 
some constitutions than others. It is usually slight, and of 
little consequence.* It does not appear to be directly dia- 
phoretic, though diaphoresis may be produced by virtue of its 
emetic operation; the secretion of the skin being more of a 
clammy, adhesive nature than is usually caused by the simple 
* Dr. Peabody, of Norwich, Connecticut, informs me, that in one instance, 
he found the continued internal use of this medicine produce as powerful saliva- 
tion as often witnessed from the use of mercury. This, however, passed off di- 
rectly with the discontinuance of the medicine, leaving no unpleasant effects. 
