Veratrum nigrum. V. macckii, V. schindleri or V. grandiflorum     Lí lú  Black false hellebore, Insanity grass  Family: Melanthiaceae  
Where did the name Li lu come from?
PART USED: Rhizome and fibrous roots- harvested in early Summer.
Nature: Cold    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
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.

Constituents

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