ALLENS KEY NOTES ON VERATRUM ALBUM

VERATRUM ALBUM.

While Hellebore. (Melanthaceae.)

For children and old people; the extremes of life; persons who are habitually cold and deficient in vital reaction; young people of a nervous sanguine temperament. Adapted to diseases with rapid sinking of the vital forces; complete prostration; collapse. Cold perspiration on the forehead (over entire body, Tab.); with nearly all complaints. Cannot bear to be left alone; yet persistently refuses to talk. Thinks she is pregnant or will soon be delivered. Mania with desire to cut and tear everything, especially clother (Taran.); with lewd, lascivious talk, amorous or religious (Hyos., Stram.). Attacks of fainting from least exertion (Carbo v., Sulph.); excessive weakness. Sinking feeling during haemorrhage (fainting, Trill.). Sensation of a lump of ice on vertex, with chilliness (Sep.); as of heat and cold at same time on scalp; as if brain were torn to pieces. Face: pale, blue, collapsed; features sunkden, hippocratic; red while lying, becomes pale on rising up (Acon.). Thirst: intense, unquenchable, for large quantities of very cold water and acid drinks; wants everything cold. Craving for acids or refreshing things (Phos. ac.). Ice coldness: of face, tip of nose, feet, legs, hands, arms, and many other parts. Cold feeling in abdomen (Colch., Tab.). Violent vomiting with profuse diarrhoea. Vomiting: excessive with nausea and great prostration: < by drinking (Ars.); by least motion (Tab.); great weakness after. Cutting pain in abdomen as from knives. Cholera: vomiting and purging; stool, profuse, watery, gushing, prostrating; after fright (Acon.). Diarrhoea: frequent, greenish, watery, gushing: mixed with flakes: cutting colic, with cramps commencing in hands and feet and spreading all over; prostrating, after fright; < least movement; with vomiting, cold sweat on forehead during and prostration after (Ars., Tab.). Constipation: no desire; stool large, hard (Bry., Sulph.); in round, black balls (Chel., Op., Plb.); from inactive rectum; frequent desire felt in epigastrium (Ign. - in rectum, Nux); painful, of infants and children, after Lyc., and Nux. Dysmenorrhoea: with vomiting and purging, or exhausting diarrhoea with cold sweat (Amm. c., Bov.); is so weak can scarcely stand for two days at each menstrual nisus (Alum., Carbo an., Coc.). Bad effects of opium eating, tabacco chewing. Pains in the limbs during wet weather, getting worse from warmth of bed, better by continued walking. In congestive or pernicious intermittent fever, with extreme coldness, thirst, face cold and collapsed; skin cold and clammy, great prostration; cold sweat on forehead and deathly pallor on face.

Relations

. - After: Ars., Arn., Cinch., Cup., Ipec. After Camph. in cholera and cholera morbus. After Amm. c., Carbo v. and Bov., in dysmenorrhoea with vomiting and purging.

Aggravation

. - From least motion; after drinking; before and during menses; during stool; when perspiring; after fright. Often removes bad effects of excessive use of alcohol and tabacco.