VERATRUM. 
VERATRIA. See Veratrum. 
-VERATRUM,—popularly White Hellebore. A 
genus of tall, ornamental, herbaceous plants, 
of the melanthium family. The white species, 
V. album, is a native of the mountains of Swit- 
zerland, Italy, Greece, and Russia, and was intro- 
duced to Britain in 1548. Its root is perennial, 
fusiform, and fleshy, and has strong fibres gather- 
ed into a head; its stem is annual, thick, cylindri- 
cal, erect, hairy, branching, and from 3 to 6 feet 
high; its leaves are sheathing, yellowish green, 
oblong-ovate, plaited longitudinally, and about 
10 inches long and 5 broad; its inflorescence 
has the form of long terminal spikes, consisting 
of small alternate spikelets, each accompanied 
with a lanceolate bract; its flowers have a pale 
greenish-yellow colour, and bloom from June till 
August; and its fruit are capsules, with many 
compressed membranous seeds. The whole of 
the plant is very acrid and poisonous; and the 
root eminently partakes of the same properties, 
and has a strong, disagreeable odour, and a bit- 
terish, very acrid, and very prolonged taste, but, 
in a dried state, wants all the odour and much of 
the taste, and is used in medicine. The pieces 
of the dried root in drug shops are either trans- 
verse slices of the thick parts or longitudinal 
slices of the fibrous parts, and have an exsiccat- 
ed and corrugated appearance, and break with 
a short starchy fracture; and they have been 
found by analysis to consist of lignin, gum, starch, 
acidulous gallate of veratria, a yellow-colouring 
| 
| 
matter, elaine, stearine, and ammonia. The ve- 
ratria is a peculiar alkaline principle, but occurs 
also in colchicum, and appears to be the chief 
seat of medicinal power, both in veratrum and in 
colchicum. Powdered veratrum root is a violent 
sternutatory, emetic, and cathartic, and cannot 
be safely used, in any form or for any purpose, 
in either human or veterinary medicine, with- 
out the utmost caution. It serves as a sternu- 
tatory in cases of lethargy and gutta serena, but 
requires to be greatly diluted with starch, pow- 
dered liquorice root, or some other mild powder; 
it is useful in the form of ointment, as an exter- 
nal applicant, in some bad cases of ulcerated 
surface, yet, even in this form, is liable to excite 
griping and purging; and it acts with more or 
less advantage, in substance or in tincture, as an 
internal administration, in cases of leprosy, sca- 
bies, epilepsy, and mania, but, if given in over- 
_ dose, produces hypercatharsis, excessive vomit- 
ing, tremors, vertigo, syncope, convulsions, and 
death,—and even when given in moderate doses, 
is liable to act with very dangerous violence. A 
safe dose of it to a strong man cannot exceed two 
grains, and can be prescribed only by a very skil- 
|| ful physician. The best antidote to an overdose 
| ofit is a strong infusion of nut-galls. In vete- 
rinary medicine, the powder, in doses of from 20 
to 30 grains, acts well as a powerful sedative on 
the horse, and is sometimes very serviceable in 
VERBENA. O17 
flammation of the lungs; but if given in slight 
overdose or at an improper moment, it may pro- 
duce vertigo, tremor, hypercatharsis, and death, 
—and, it, therefore, ought never to be adminis- 
tered by an unskilful or inattentive practitioner, 
and far less by a groom or a quack.—Five other 
species of veratrum, varying in height from 2 to 
6 feet, all hardy, perennial-rooted, annual-stem- 
med herbs, one with white flowers, one with dark 
purple flowers, and the other three with green 
flowers, have been introduced to Britain. 
VERBASCUM. See Mouuzern. 
VERBENA,—popularly Vervain. <A diversi- 
fied genus of corolliflorous exogens, constituting 
the type of the natural order Verbenacee. This 
order has a botanical place in the vicinity of the 
Labiatz and the Scrophularinesz; but is exceed- 
ingly diversified in its outward habit and gene- 
ral appearance,—and comprises ugly weeds and 
brilliant beauties, lowly annuals and imposing 
shrubs, creeping herbs and lofty trees. A large 
proportion of the species inhabit wastes, way- 
sides, and woods in Southern Europe and within 
the tropics. About 160 hothouse species, about 60 
greenhouse species, and nearly 40 hardy species, 
besides very many varieties and hybrids, occur at 
present in the gardens and botanical collections 
of Britain; and they are distributed among 
about 30 genera,—some of the most remarkable 
of which are verbena, clerodendrum, aloysia, 
vitex, and tectona. 
One species of the genus verbena grows wild 
in Britain, about 40 have been introduced from 
other countries, and a few more are known. 
Some species also which formerly belonged to it 
are now assigned to three other genera; and 
many of the most beautiful varieties and hybrids 
belonging to it have almost as distinct charac- 
ters, at least to a popular observer, as if they 
were separate species. Some of the species are 
hardy annuals; some, hardy biennials; some, 
hardy, annual-stemmed, erect perennials; some, 
frame or greenhouse, everyreen, erect herbaceous 
perennials; and some, either half-tender annual- 
stemmed perennials, or half cender evergreen 
undershrubs, or evergreen herbaceous creep- 
ers. Their height varies from an inch or so to 
6 or 8 feet; and the extent of the creeping kinds 
is, in some instances, comparatively great, but 
depends much on situation and cuiture. Some 
have undivided leaves; some, trifid leaves ; and 
some, variously cut and emarginated leaves. A 
considerable number are mere weeds; and the 
rest vary in ornamental character from simple 
beauty to the most dazzling brilliance. The co- 
lour of the flowers is generally pervading and 
uniform in any one species or variety; but it 
comprises so wide a range as white, sulphur, 
cream, carmine, pink, red, crimson, scarlet, pur- 
ple, violet, lilac, and blue throughout the genus. 
The indigenous species, or common vervain, 
Verbena officinalis, inhabits road-sides, dry waste 
grounds, and dry pastures, in the vicinity of dwell- 
| various intlammations, and particularly in in- 
TV. 20 
