A prominent feature of Veratrum is that the patient feels extremely cold yet
is drenched in cold sweats from head to toe. Similar symptoms are also found in
Camphor, though the stools are scanty. In Veratrum Album, the stools are watery
and exuberant, causing severe dehydration which may even lead to death. Cramps
in the legs are an essential feature of Veratrum Album, Camphor and
Cuprum as well as of cholera. A rather
contradictory symptom of Veratrum Album is dryness of the gastro-intestinal
tract. It is an extremely effective treatment
of diarrhoea, as well as for severe
constipation. Severe chronic constipation, associated with a feeling
of weakness and cold sweats can well be treated with Veratrum Album. Veratrum
Album can still be useful even if the weakness and cold sweats are absent. In
severe constipation, Veratrum Album 30 should be used two to three times a day.
It gradually softens the abdomen by alleviating the dryness of the intestines.
It is recommended however that prior to the treatment with Veratrum Album,
severe constipation may better be relieved with an enema or glycerine
suppositories. This will soften the dry voluminous stools which are otherwise impossible
to pass naturally. Veratrum Album, like
Carbo Veg, may also be tried in the treatment of cold sweats associated with
severe irreversible shock and impending death.
The Veratrum Album patient happens to be irritable and is
easily provoked due to the constant feeling of cold. If he is kept warm all the
time, he becomes mellow, showing that the irritability is not his nature Some Veratrum Album patients are religious fanatics. They
talk loudly and rapidly. At some times, they may be extremely talkative, and at
others absolutely silent. During the period of silence, they become extremely
depressed and have the tendency to commit suicide. A suicidal tendency is found
in many other remedies. In rare instances, Veratrum Album can also be used to
treat the suicidal tendency.
Premenstrual
tension and sadness
in young girls may well be cured with Veratrum Album. If untreated,
this condition is likely to result in life-long mental illness. There is no
smile left on their faces. The physician should remember well that the feeling
of extreme cold is the most important indication for the use of Veratrum Album. There are many inconsistencies in the
constitution of Veratrum Album, such as the fact that the head is not cold even
though the rest of the body may be ice-cold. Sometimes, the head feels
submerged in ice especially at the scalp and the nape, quite unlike Sulphur. In
Sulphur, the top of the head feels burning hot. In a Veratrum Album patient, in
spite of feeling extreme cold, the patient likes to drink cold water. Fruits
produce gas in the stomach. Despite the feeling of nausea and vomiting, there
is a feeling of scraping inside the stomach and the craving for food.