Veratrum
nigrum. V. macckii, V. schindleri or V. grandiflorum
藜芦 Lí lúBlack false hellebore, Insanity
grass
Family: Melanthiaceae
Where did the name Li lu come
from?
Lilu is a toxic herb, which even a goat or a cow will not eat. But how did this
plant become an herb for curing diseases since it's so toxic? As the story goes,
a child by the name of Lilu suffered from epilepsy and during a seizure, he
would often become so violent that he would harm other children in the neighbourhood.
In fact, one time he hurt a child so severely that his parents were forced to
pay a large sum of money in compensation. One day Lilu's parents and his brothers
were talking about the situation with Lilu and the oldest son said, “What if
Lilu kills someone the next time? If that happens, the whole family would suffer
terribly.”
“I agree,” said another brother, “so why don't we put Lilu to death?” Lilu's
parents felt terrible about the thought of putting him to death, but since they
couldn't figure out a better solution, they remained silent.
The following day, Lilu was undergoing another epileptic seizure. Anticipating
the possibility of violence, Lilu's oldest brother pushed him to the ground
and forced a cup of fresh black false hellebore juice into his mouth, in an
attempt to poison him to death. Lilu began to vomit a few minutes later. His
brother then forced another cup of the juice into his mouth and Lilu began to
vomit again. When Lilu finally stopped vomiting, he got up and walked into the
kitchen to eat a bowl of rice.
From that point on, Lilu never had another seizure. This herb was appropriately
named after Li lu.[4]
PART USED: Rhizome and fibrous roots-
harvested in early Summer. FLAVOR: Acrid,
bitter CHANNEL: Lung, Liver, and Stomach
TOXICITY: Li lu is a TOXIC herb that is to be used for EXTERNAL USE
ONLY!
All parts of the plant are highly toxic.[1]
However, the highest concentrations of toxins tend to be in the rhizome.[1]
Toxicity varies widely depending on the method of preparation (extract, water
extract, etc.), and the method of application. Just 1.8 g/kg can cause death
due to cardiac arrhythmia.[2] FUNCTIONS GROUP: Antitussive,
Expectorants and Antiasthmatics, Emetic 1. Induces vomiting to treat Wind Phlegm.[6]
Subdue wind phlegm.[3]
2. Kills parasites and stops itching.[6]
Insecticide poison.[3]
INDICATIONS 1. Wind stroke, seizures- phlegm obstruction, epilepsy.
2. Painful obstruction of the throat, due to welling up of Phlegm.[6]
Throat paralysis embolism.[3]
3. Used to induce vomiting shortly after ingestion of poisons.[6]
4. External treatment scabies,[3,6]ringworm and lice.[6]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Incompatable with Asarum
heterotropoides- Xi xin, Paeonia lactiflora-
Bai shao, Paeonia rubra- Chi shao, Panax
ginseng- Ren shen, Codonopsis pilosula-
Dang Shen, Glehnia littoralis- Sha shen,
Adenophora stricta- Sha shen, Scrophularia
ningpoensis- Xuan shen, Sophora flavescens-
Ku Shen.[5] Contraindicated for the
debilitated, those who have recently lost blood, and during pregnancy. COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: External
use only 0.3-0.9 g in pills and powders. When used topically it is ground into powder
and mixed with oil. ORIGIN: Eurasia from France to Korea including Germany, Poland,
Russia, China, and Mongolia. References
[1] Barceloux, Medical Toxicology of Natural Substances, 2008, p. 816.
[2] Huang, The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs, 1998, p. 247.
[3] brion.org.tw
[4] www.acupuncture-and-chinese-medicine.com
[5] americandragon.com
[6] Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica- Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble- Eastland
Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7 Images
1. au.pinterest.com Hannavee Nimbus garden 2017 s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com
2. brion.org.tw
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the
use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. Safety and herb-drug interactions.
If ingestion causes unrelenting vomiting,
a decoction of green onions can be used as an antidote.[1] The LD50 of preparations of Veratrum nigrum is 1.78 g/kg. Preparations
of Veratrum dahuricum have been shown to have a very strong effect on the mucosa
of the mouth, nose, and yeys. Overdosage may cause respiratory arrest.[1] References [1] Chinese Herbal Medicine MateriaMedica- Dan Bensky and Andrew
Gamble- Eastland Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7
Jervine, pseudojervine, rubijervine, cholchicine,
germerine.[1]
V. nigrum- Veratroylzygadenine.[1]
V. schindleri-Tienmulilumine.[1] References
[1] Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica- Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble- Eastland
Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7
Research
Interaction of Veratrum nigrum with Panax ginseng against Obesity: A Sang-ban
Relationship.
Park J, Jeon YD, Kim HL, Lim H, Jung Y, Youn DH, Jeong MY, Kim HJ, Kim SH, Kim
SJ, Hong SH, Um JY. Abstract
Obesity has become a major health threat in developed countries. However, current
medications for obesity are limited because of their adverse effects. Interest
in natural products for the treatment of obesity is thus rapidly growing. Korean
Medicine (KM) is characterized by the wide use of herbal formulas. However, the
combination rule of herbal formulas in KM lacks experimental evidence. According
to Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica, the earliest book of herbal medicine,
Veratrum nigrum (VN) has antagonistic features against Panax ginseng (PG), and
the PG-VN pair is strictly forbidden. In this study, we have shown the effects
of PG, VN, and their combination on obesity in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obese
mice and in 3T3-L1 cells. PG, VN, and PG-VN combination significantly reduced
weight gain and the fat pad weight in HF diet-induced obese mice. They also significantly
decreased lipid accumulation and the expressions of two major adipogenesis factors,
PPAR γ and C/EBP α , in 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, the PG-VN combination had synergistic
effects compared with the mixture of extracts of PG and VN on inhibition of PPAR
γ and C/EBP α expressions at lower doses. These results indicate a new potential
anti-obese pharmacotherapy and also provide scientific evidence supporting the
usage of herbal combinations instead of mixtures in KM.
PMID: 24073007 PMCID: PMC3773901 DOI: 10.1155/2013/732126 Evid Based Complement
Alternat Med. 2013;2013:732126. doi: 10.1155/2013/732126. Epub 2013 Sep 2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov