I

630

Fig. 112.

Veratrum album, Linn,var. albijlorum.

E LEM 1C NTS OF MATE HI A MEL'ICA.

Root composed of numerous fleshy, brownish-white fibres, arising from a perennial, cylindrical,fleshy, subterraneous stem or rhizome, which isbrown externally, brownish-white internally,and is placed obliquely in the earth. Stemone to four feet high. The plant flowers fromJune to August.

Two varieties (by some considered distinctspecies) are included here :—

a. albijlorum (F. album, Bernh.) with decompoundraceme and white flowers.

0. viridifiorum (F. Lobelianum, Bernh.) with compoundraceme and greenish flowers.

Hab .—Mountainous regions of Europe-Abounds in the Alps and Pyrenees .

Description.— The rhizome (radix veratrhoffic. radix hellebori albi ) is single-, double'or many-headed, having the form of a cylinder,or, more frequently, of a truncated cone. ^is from two to four inches long, and aboutone inch in diameter, rough, wrinkled, greyish or blackish-brovr»externally, whitish internally. Portions of the root fibres are usuallyattached to it, as well as some soft, fine, hair-like fibres. At the upp 4 ’ 1 'extremity of the rhizome we frequently observe the cut edges of numerousconcentric, woody, or membranous scales: they are portions of the drie 4leaf-sheaths. When cut transversely, the rhizome presents a large centruportion (frequently called medulla ), which varies in its qualities, beingwoody, farinaceous, or spongy, in different specimens. This is separate 4by a brown fine undulating line from a thick woody ring, in which tu 6root fibres take their origin. On the outside of this is a narrow but coFpact, brown, epidermoid coat. The odour of the dried rhizome is feeble,the taste is at first bitter, then acrid. By keeping, the rhizome is aptbecome mouldy.

Composition.— White hellebore rhizome was analyzed in 1820 j>?MM. Pelletier and Caventou {Journ. de Pharm. vol. vi. p. 363), "I 1obtained the following results:— Fatty matter (composed of olein, ste<F“^and a volatile [cevadic ?] acid), supergallate of veratria, yellow colou^^lmatter, starch, ligneous matter, and gum. The ashes contained uuuphosphate and carbonate of lime, carbonate of potash, and some tracessilica and sulphate of lime, but no chlorides. They could not obta> 4 ( .the volatile [cevadic ?] acid in a crystalline fonn. [For an account 0veratria, vide Asagr.ea officinalis.]

Simon ( Berl. Jahrb. fur d. Pharm. Bd. xxxviii. S. 393 ; also Lond. and Ed-May. vol. xii. p. 29) has discovered a new vegetable base in the rhizome of this p laand has called it Jervin.

Chemical Characteristics.— A decoction of the rhizome underwenton the addition of a solution of gelatin, no change, shewing the absen^of tannic acid ; but with the sesquicliloride of iron, it became olive(gallate ? of iron). With tincture of galls it became slightly turbid ( 44 \jnates of veratria and starch ). With acetate and diacetate of lead, n\ tprotonitrate of mercury, it formed copious precipitates. The rhizom 0