VERATRUM ALBUM (White Hellebore)

VERATRUM ALBUM (White Hellebore)

White Hellebore is an extremely poisonous plant growing in Europe, where it was used as one the principal poisons for arrows, daggers, etc. When snuffed up it produces profuse running of the nose; when swallowed, severe vomiting and profuse diarrhea. Narcotic symptoms, such as stupor and convulsions, appear in addition to vomiting and diarrhea, when the dose is fatal. It was formerly used in cerebral affections, such as mania, epilepsy, etc., for gout, and, in the form of an ointment or decoction, in obstinate skin diseases such as scabies and vermin infestation.

ESSENCE
“Icy-cold”, heartless, with no desire for connection with others. Thinks in terms of social hierarchy: everyone is either below or above him in the hierarchy. “Veratrum has the feeling that he has lost his social position which he must regain quickly by any means or he will be finished. He tries to find means for sudden gains, e.g. gambling, lying, fraudulent business, etc. (Sankaran)
MENTAL SYMPTOMS
- HARD … lacking connection … HAUGHTY … critical … censorious … rude (esp. to people “below” them) … angry and violent ... cursing … LYING and hardly seems to know himself that he does so
- Fears: of LOSING POSITION or NOT BEING ABLE TO GET TO THE POSITION … heights … falling from heights
- Religiosity … excessive praying ... DELUSIONS OF RELIGION AND IDENTITY (believes he is a savior or prophet, or that he has a divine mission; that God is talking to him; preaches on the streets) … despair of salvation
- Mania; acute or chronic psychosis (violence, spending, etc.) … meaningless, repetitive actions (cutting, tearing, picking, etc.)
- Children: precocious (esp. in understanding relationships – who is above and who is below) … ask many serious questions … restless, hyperactive and disobedient … destructive behavior, parents can’t control them … cannot connect emotionally (this applies to adults too), there is no way to reach them (= cold) … run away from home at early age
- High sexuality, even in very little kids: touches, hugs and kisses inappropriately (Hyos. tends to expose himself or talk dirty, but rarely “does” it)
GENERAL SYMPTOMS
- Tremendous CHILLINESS (one of the chilliest remedies) ... LOCAL COLDNESS (lump of ice on top of the head)
- COPIOUS EVACUATIONS (vomiting, purging, salivation, sweat, urine) with PROFOUND PROSTRATION, COLDNESS, BLUENESS AND COLLAPSE; effects are violent and sudden
- COLD PERSPIRATION ON THE FOREHEAD with all complaints
- FAINTING from emotions, least exertion, slight injury, etc.
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
Head: vertigo with vomiting and cold sweat … severe HA, often with vomiting, with icy coldness, esp. on the vertex … cold face ... profuse cold sweat, esp. on the forehead ... cold breath and tongue in the acute or collapsed states
GI: diarrhea after fright (with coldness and prostration; also Aco., Gels., Arg-nit, Op.) … gastroenteritis with SIMULTANEOUS VOMITING AND DIARRHEA (Ars) … profuse, debilitating diarrhea, < cold, < menses … colitis … vomiting and diarrhea during menses with dysmenorrhea ... projectile vomiting ... abdominal cramping and distention … intense thirst … vomiting with cough (Ip.) … cravings: sour … salt … ice … fruit ... sardines
Male/Female: SEVERE DYSMENORRHEA, esp. with intense cramping, coldness, vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness ... hyper-sexual
Extremities: cold fingers and/or toes
PRIME INDICATIONS
1. Excessive restlessness, mental and physical.
2. Ambition, every possible means employed.
3. Tremendous chilliness.
4. Local or general coldness.
5. Excessive evacuations, watery. Cold sweat.
6. Craving for sour fruit, salty things and cold drinks. / ETIOLOGIES
Post-operative shock … shock of injury … fright … disappointed love … injured pride or honor … opium, tobacco, alcohol
AFFINITIES
NERVES (ABDOMINAL; heart; blood vessels) … vertex … blood … respiratory system ... digestive system
MODALITIES
: EXERTION … DRINKING … cold drinks … fright … during pain … cold
: hot drinks … walking about … covering …lying
SENSATIONS
As if ice on the vertex … as blood in veins is cold like ice
PAINS
Purging is always associated with sharp cutting pains in the abdomen, and often with cramps in the limbs.
DISCHARGES
Very COPIOUS … rice-water or greenish (stool) … ICY-COLD SWEAT
NOTES
- The "evacuant" use of Verat. gives one of the keynotes for its homeopathic use its discharges are copious (stools, vomiting, urine, salivation, sweat.) The discharges drain the tissues like cholera in which disease its pathogenetic effects render it one of the first remedies, ranking with Camph. and Cupr. in Hahnemann's trio (Murphy)
DIFFERENTIALS
Violence: Unlike Stram. and Tarent., Verat. is not emotionally connected, so he doesn’t feel any remorse after, e.g. destroying things. Behind destructive behavior of Stram. is a plea for attention. Tarent. manipulates parents by destroying things to attract attention.
Fears: Social position is a very important factor in human life, for it ensures security, marital prospects and protection from attacks. A threat to social position therefore is a threat to all these factors. We see in Belladonna the fear of being attacked, in Stramonium the threat of being alone in the wilderness, and in Hyoscyamus the threat of being deserted by his partner. That is why it is said that Veratrum has all these three remedies in it. In addition, it has a lot to do with ego.
Diarrhea: Camph. also produces coldness and symptoms of collapse, but discharges are scanty and the nausea marked. Jatropha curcas causes vomiting of ropy albuminous matters with purging like water from a hydrant, coldness, nausea and gurgling in the abdomen. Podo. is esp. indicated when pain is absent. The stools are watery and come out with a gush and splutter like water from a hydrant. There is marked loathing of food. The bowels are more apt to move after midnight and toward morning. The stools are very liable to vary in color, now yellow, now green, etc. (see more diffs in Farrington’s Clinical MM)
SOURCES
Boger, Synoptic
Farrington, Homeopathy (RW)
Farrington, Therapeutic Pointers (RW)
Cowperthwaite, Textbook (RW)
Vermeulen, Prisma