White Germer is a highly poisonous plant, which is especially common in the regions of the high mountains. The famous Greek physician Hippocrates treated the accompanying symptoms of cholera (diarrhea, vomiting) with low doses of white tansy from the root of the plant. Some of his contemporaries and descendants valued White Germer rather as an effective means of pest control.
Occurrence and cultivation of white germer
White Hellebore is a highly poisonous plant, which is especially common in the regions of high mountains. White horseweed (Veratrum album) belongs to the family of horseweed (Melanthiaceae) and is also called hellebore and lousewort. It is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to 1.50 meters high and is highly poisonous in all its parts. However, the highest concentration of alkaloids is found in the root, which is white on the inside. The alkaloid content also varies depending on the altitude of the site: white horsetail growing further up in the high mountains has a lower alkaloid concentration than plants established in the valley. The stem leaves of the poisonous plants are alternate and twisted, with the lower oval leaves 20 centimeters long. Those further up are lanceolate in shape. All have parallel leaf veins, are deeply furrowed, and embrace the stem. White horseweed flowers for the first time a few years after sprouting from the root. From June to August, it bears many 50-centimeter-long flower panicles, on which are various funnel-shaped white flowers about 1.5 centimeters in diameter with green nerves. The poisonous plant emits a penetrating odor, especially in sunshine. Its root is dug up in spring and autumn and then dried. The hellebore is found in the Alps, Alpine foothills, Apennines and in southern and eastern Europe. It prefers pastures, wet meadows, shallow bogs and high herbaceous meadows up to 2,700 meters above sea level. In Austria it is particularly common. Especially goats, sheep and calves are frequent victims of the poisonous plant. Therefore, it is often uprooted or dug up by farmers. As it resembles the yellow gentian outside the flowering season, confusion sometimes occurs with dire consequences. Its root can also be confused with the galangal root.
Effect and application
White horsetail is a potent neurotoxin and contains a large amount of alkaloids such as germerine, protoverine, protoveratrin A and B, jervine, rubijervine, veratrenone, veratramine. The root, which used to be used for medicinal purposes because of its strong effect on the circulation, is even more toxic than the herb (above-ground parts of the plant). Just one to two grams of the powdered root is enough to cause a person’s death. This is equivalent to administering 10 to 20 milligrams of the root alkaloids. White Germer root was valued by folk medicine practitioners for its expectorant, sneeze-inducing, analgesic, antihypertensive, nerve-calming, and general invigorating effects. Due to accidental overdoses and the fluctuating concentrations of active ingredients typical of natural remedies, serious health damage and deaths often occurred when White Germer was used internally. The first symptoms of poisoning are sneezing, tingling in the mouth, strong salivation and lacrimation, nausea, vomiting, feeling of cold all over the body, severe diarrhea, hallucinations and muscle cramps. In severe cases, respiratory distress, circulatory collapse, respiratory paralysis, and death from heart failure occur. Even today, powder from the root is sporadically administered (albeit in very small doses). In case of hellebore poisoning, the patient should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible, as the patient may die within three to twelve hours. There he will receive several gastric lavages and artificial respiration. His circulation is stabilized. Activated charcoal administrations stop his diarrhea. He is also given heat. Painkillers help with the cramps. White horsetail was also often used externally in the past. Ointment preparations helped against rashes, scabies and psoriasis. The decoction from the dried root was used for soaking compresses or as a wash. It was used to remove dandruff from the scalp and strengthen the hair roots. Today, white horsetail is used only in standardized finished medicines and homeopathic remedies because of its high toxicity.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
In ancient times, the white hellebore was a popular remedy, which was administered, for example, in fermented form as an emetic. In folk medicine, the dried and crushed root of hellebore was used as a remedy for high blood pressure, heart trouble, cardiac arrhythmia, convulsions, liver disease, cholera (vomiting and diarrhea), and as an emetic. In very low doses it was even found in snuff. The orthodox medicine of the last century even planned to produce a blood pressure regulating drug from the root. However, the project failed because of the many side effects of the complex alkaloids. Nowadays, the root is only used homeopathically. An aqueous extract is prepared from it immediately after harvesting, which is later potentized several times. In this way, the formerly poisonous active substances become a highly effective medicine. Veratrum album is prescribed as an essence in potencies from D4. In most cases D4 to D6 are used. It is THE circulatory remedy par excellence and is mainly used for a tendency to faint, circulatory collapse, too low and too high blood pressure, vomiting, cardiac asthma, sciatica, neuralgia, epilepsy, nervous exhaustion, edema, migraine, depression, cough, bronchitis, calf cramps, diarrhea, tetany, constipation, food poisoning. White Germer is also prescribed for skin diseases (rashes, psoriasis), muscle diseases, cholera, intestinal flu, menstrual cramps, menstrual disorders, as an emetic and for general strengthening during convalescence.
