Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Hellebore

HELLEBORE, or Helleborus, L. a genus of plants consisting of five species, two of which are natives of Britain: the principal of these is the fœtidus, Fetid Hellebore, Bear's-foot, Ox-heel, or Setterwort. It grows in meadows, shady places, and hedges; producing green flowers, somewhat tinged with purple at the edges, which blow in the months of March and April.

In a recent state, this species has an extremely fetid smell, accompanied with a bitter taste, which is so remarkably acrid, as to excoriate the mouth and fauces. A decoction of it is, by country people, employed as a cathartic, for which purpose one or two drams are fully sufficient. The dried leaves of the fetid hellebore are sometimes given to children as a vermifuge; but as their operation is so violent, that a large dose might easily prove fatal, this virulent plant ought to be employed only by farriers.—Beside immediate vomiting, the most proper antidotes to every species of the hellebore, are mucilaginous drinks in very large quantities; such as the decoctions of oatmeal, pearl-barley, linseed, marsh-mallows, &c. or milk and water; after taking which, the poisonous matter will be most effectually counteracted by diluted vinegar, juice of lemons, or other vegetable acids.