110 
ON  VERATRUM  VIR1DE. 
of  this  plant,  to  an  extent  much  greater  than  previous  observers, 
and  advocates  his  views  with  a  degree  of  confidence  not  often  ex- 
ceeded by  medical  experimenters.    Veratum  viride  was  known  to 
the  aborigines  as  a  powerful  medicine,  and  has  been  written  about 
and  experimented  with  by  able  physicians.    Dr.  Osgood  of  Rhode 
Island,  in  an  essay  published  in  the  American  Journal  of  the  Med. 
Sciences,  and  republished  at  page  202,  vol.  vii.  of  the  American 
Journal  of  Pharmacy,  (Oct.  1835,)  gives  an  account  of  many  of 
its  effects  on  the  human  system,  and  remarks  more  especially  on  its 
sedative  influence  on  the  heart,  and  its  want  of  the  cathartic  power 
of  its  congener,  Veratrum  Album,  and  attributes  many  of  his  state- 
ments to  his  preceptor,  Dr.  Tully,  then  of  Yale  College.    Dr.  Os- 
good, besides,  made  some  chemical  observations,  and  says,  "  It  is 
commonly  said  to  contain  the  proximate  active  principle  veratrine, 
as  the  seat  of  its  medical  properties.    This  opinion,  however,  seems 
to  be  entirely  gratuitous,  being  drawn  from  its  analogy  in  its  ex- 
ternal appearance  with  the  European  species,  rather  than  from  ac- 
tual investigation.    If  we  consult  analogy  in  medicinal  properties, 
instead  of  external  appearance,  our  conclusions  will  be  more 
rationally  founded.  This  is,  indeed,  the  only  analogy  that  cangive 
much  weight  to  an  opinion  upon  this  point ;  and  so  far  as  this  goes, 
is  in  decided  opposition  to  the  hypothesis,  that  the  active  principle 
of  this  species  is  the  same  as  of  the  European,  that,  as  has  been 
before  observed,  being  hydrogogue  cathartic  ;  whilst  this  possesses 
no  cathartic  powers."     Dr.  Osgood  then  details  an  endeavor  to 
test  the  correctness  of  his  conclusions  by  a  chemical  analysis.  He 
made  a  saturated  infusion  by  maceration  in  boiling  water,  precipi- 
tated by  ammonia,  washed  the  precipitate  with  water,  and  boiled 
it  in  alcohol  with  animal  charcoal,  filtered  while  hot,  and  evaporated. 
By  this  treatment  a  white  pulverulent,  inodorous  and  very  acrid 
substance  was  obtained,  producing  a  stinging  sensation  on  the 
tongue.    Dr.  Osgood  states  that  the  substance  he  obtained  was  so 
volatile  that  when  exposed  on  a  filter  to  dry  at  a  temperature  not 
exceeding  120°  Fah.,  it  was  nearly  all  volatilized  or  lost  before  he 
was  aware  of  it,  which  prevented  his  further  investigation  of  its 
properties. 
About  three  years  after  Dr.  Osgood,  Mr.  H.  W.  Worthington  made 
a  proximateanalysis  of  Veratrum  viride.  ( See  vol.  x.  page  89,  Amer. 
Jour.  Phar.)  He  made  a  cold  infusion  of  the  root,  precipitated  it  with 
