Veratrum viride
Plant · Melanthiaceae
Suited to full-blooded, plethoric persons with congestive states. The remedy excels in resolving congestive conditions of the lungs, brain base, and heart with marked arterial tension.
Key symptoms
- Congestion, especially lungs and base of brain
- Paroxysms of auricular fibrillation
- Bloated, livid face with intense bloodshot eyes
- Violent spasms and convulsive twitchings
- Nausea and vomiting with great prostration
- Slow, soft, weak, irregular pulse
- Red streak down middle of tongue
- Rheumatism of heart with constant burning pain
Worse (aggravation)
- Motion, sudden motion causes faintness and blindness
- Rising and walking worsen symptoms
- Morning on waking and evening
- Lying down worsens headache and breathing
- Going from warm to cold
- After exposure to cold
- Least food causes violent vomiting
Better (amelioration)
- By rubbing
- By pressure (especially for head pain)
- Lying down ameliorates faintness and blindness
- Closing eyes and resting head improves vertigo
White American Hellebore
Paroxysms of auricular fibrillation. Induces fall of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Congestions, especially to lungs, base of brain, with nausea and vomiting. Twitchings and convulsions. Especially adapted to full-blooded, plethoric persons. Great prostration. Rheumatism of heart. Bloated, livid face. Furious delirium. Effects of sunstroke. Œsophagitis. (Farrington). Verat vir, will raise the opsonic index against the diploccus pneumonia, 70 to 109 per cent. Congestive stage and early manifestations of hepatization in pneumonia. Zigzag temperature. Clinically, it is known that such diseases as Tiegel's contracture, Thompson's Disease, athetosis and pseudo-hypertrophic muscular paralysis present a symptomatology quite like that produced by Veratrum vir upon muscular tissue (A. E. Hinsdale, M. D).
Mind
Quarrelsome and delirious.
Head
Congestion intense, almost apoplectic. Hot head, bloodshot eyes. Bloated, livid face. Hippocratic face. Head retracted, pupils dilated, double vision. Meningitis. Pain from nape of neck; cannot hold head up. Sunstroke; head full, throbbing arteries (Bell; Glon; Usnea). Face flushed. Convulsive twitching of facial muscles (Agaricus). Vertigo with nausea.
Tongue
White or yellow, with red streak down the middle. Feels scalded. Increased saliva.
Stomach
Thirsty. Nausea and vomiting. Smallest quantity of food or drink immediately rejected. Constrictive pain; increased by warm drinks. Hiccough; excessive and painful, with spasms of œsophagus. Burning in stomach and œsophagus.
Abdomen
Pain above pelvis, with soreness.
Respiratory
Congestion of lungs. Difficult breathing. Sensation of a heavy load on chest. Pneumonia, with faint feeling in stomach and violent congestion. Croup. Menstrual colic before the appearance of the discharge with strangury.
Urine
Scanty with cloudy sediment.
Female
Rigid os (Bell; Gels). Puerperal fever. Suppressed menstruation, with congestion to head (Bell). Menstrual colic before the appearance of the discharge with strangury.
Heart
Pulse slow, soft, weak, irregular, intermittent. Rapid pulse, low tension (Tabac; Dig). Constant, dull, burning pain in region of heart. Valvular diseases. Beating of pulses throughout body, especially in right thigh.
Extremities
Aching pain in back of neck and shoulders. Severe pain in joints and muscles. Violent electric-like shocks in limbs. Convulsive twitchings. Acute rheumatism. Fever.
Skin
Erysipelas, with cerebral symptoms. Erythema. Itching in various parts. Hot sweating.
Fever
Hyperthermy in the evening and hypothermy in the morning. Suppurative fevers with great variation of temperature.
Relationship
Compare: Gels; Bapt; Bell; Acon; Ferr phos. Antidotes Strychnin-fluid extract, 20-40 drops.
Dose
First to sixth potency.
Veratrum viride. American White Hellebore. Indian Poke. N. O. Melanthaceæ (of the Liliaceæ). Tincture of fresh root gathered in autumn. [Burt proved Squibb's liquid extract and says he found no other preparation satisfactory.]
Clinical
Amaurosis. Amenorrhœa. Apoplexy. Asthma. Bunions. Cæcum, inflammation of. Chilblains. Chorea. Congestion. Convulsions. Diplopia. Diaphragmitis. Dysmenorrhœa. Erysipelas. Headache, nervous; sick. Heart, affections of. Hiccough. Hyperpyrexia. Influenza. Malarial fever. Measles. Meningitis. Menses, suppressed. Myalgia. Œsophagus, spasm of. Orchitis. Pneumonia. Proctalgia. Puerperal convulsions. Puerperal mania. Sleep, dreamful. Spine, congestion of. Spleen, congested. Sunstroke. Typhoid fever. Uterus, congestion of.
Green Hellebore. (Melanthaceae.)
For full-blooded, plethoric persons. Congestion, especially to base of brain, chest, spine and stomach. Violent pains attending inflammation. Acute rheumatism, high fever, full, hard rapid pulse, sever pains in joints and muscles (Bry., Salic. ac.); scanty, red urine. Child trembles, jerks, threatened with convulsions; continual jerking or nodding of the head. Nervous or sick headache; congestion from suppressed menses; intense, almost apoplectic, with violent nausea and vomiting. Congestive apoplexy, hot head, bloodshot eyes, thick speech, slow full pulse, hard as iron. Convulsions: dim vision; basilar meningitis; head retracted; child on verge of spasms. Cerebro-spinal diseases; with spasms, dilated pupils, tetanic convulsions, opisthotonos; cold clammy perspiration. Sunstroke, head full, throbbing of arteries, sensitive to sound, double or partial vision (Gels., Glon.). Tongue: white or yellow with red streak down the middle; dry, moist, white or yellow coating, …
Mouth and Throat
Red streak in the middle of a yellowish coated tongue.
Heart and Pulse
Heart beats very rapidly, loud, strong, with great general arterial excitement.
Generalities
Spasms or convulsions attended by exceedingly quick pulse.
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The tongue feels as if it had been scalded.
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Menstrual disorders with intense cerebral congestion.
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Difficult, slow, laboured breathing; active congestion of the chest.
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Heart's beat loud, strong, with great arterial excitement; pulse incompressible; high temperature.
Phatak's chapter on Veratrum viride is available in the app.
Read Phatak in the appClassical texts are in the public domain. Educational reference only — not medical advice.
