Name: White Hellebore (Veratrum album).
Otherwise known as: False Helleborine.
Habitat: A perennial bulbous member of the Lilliaceae family growing to about 1m in damp meadow lands and river edges, with stout erect stems covered in the remains of previous foliage emerging from a powerful root system. The new, broadly ovate to elliptical leaves, are deeply veined and hairy on the underside, with spikes of yellow/green star shaped flowers emerging from the axils. The rhizome has a powerful alliaceous odour that is lost on drying. It is native to central and southern Europe. All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous.
What does it do: Hellebore contains a number of toxic alkaloids (these are nitrogenous organisms emanating from amino acids found in plants, with toxic or medicinal properties), such as veratrine, protoveratrine, jervine and pseudojervine. Its name is taken from the Latin – vere – truly, and atrum – black- a reference to the colour of the rootstock.
Pliny refers to the Germanic tribes coating their arrows and blades in the juice from this plant to inflict maximum damage on their enemies. The effect is to cause the collapse of the involuntary muscles accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, obviously, not very pleasant for the recipient. The purging effect of Hellebore was very popular with medieval physicians, who believed that any mental affliction was associated with possession and the stronger the purge, the more potent the cure.
Infusions made from the roots were administered to those suffering from epilepsy, mania, apoplexy, and suicidal tendencies. Very few survived. It was also used to treat those in advanced stages of venereal disease with equally disastrous results. Later in the 19th century it was applied to rheumatic pains and neuralgia as well as severe skin eruptions such as acne, psoriasis and scabies and as a standard treatment for body lice. It is still used for this purpose in the more primitive parts of central Europe.
The alkaloids in Hellebore have now attracted the attention of some of the major drug companies as they show a propensity to widen the lumen (internal space of a tubular organ) of blood vessels and lower blood pressure. The constituents are now being processed into anti-hypertensives and other heart preparations.
Next dangerous plant … Lords and Ladies.
