Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1875-12-23
FLORICU Ii L.
TTE HELLEBoRE or CHRISTMAS ROSE.

lIICI1 Gtc ~
more celebrity or ancient history than the
Hellcbores (Hsl1eborus). The botanlcal
name of the genus is said to nave been de-
rived from the two Greek words, hetuna, 70
kill. and bora, food, alluding to the We'll
known poisonous properties OF the various
species. .oao;roa
Its common name, Christmas Rose, IN I'll
GLAND. where it blooms about Christmas
but the other species come into Hover laser'
usually in March and April. Formerly usis
plant was quite common in the Old gardetis
of this country, having been bfouShI oV0
by the first settlers as a medicinal plah'
once in great repute. But as new iaSorles
come in the old ones are rowded out, or
left to die uncared for, which in some in
stances there are good reasons to regret, IN
asmuch as the history of a plant may throw
light upon the history Of nations. OF course,
in our . hurrying" days, we cannot afford
to spend much time in looking up what our
forefathers thought of the plants they had
in cultivation. Still, a glance backwards oc-
casionally in such matters may help us TO
take Il better view Of our present situation.
Now, this plant, which we will call Black
Hellebore, was used as a medicine by a cele-
brated physician who flourished at Pylos, III
Peloponnessus, about one hundred years
after the time of Moses. 1t is said that this
doctor, whose name was Melampus, cured
the daughters of Prptus, King Of Argos, Of
mental arrangement with Hellebore. From
this circumstance it became 50 celebrated for
curing insanity that novaga ad Antcyram
became u common proverb among the peo-
pie, i.e., when one had a crazy friend, he
was advised to take him, or her, and 'Ssail
to Anticyra,'' in the Gulf Of Corinth, where
Helleborc grew in abundance.
The princesses referred to above were or
dered to battle in cold water after taking a
dose of the Hellebore. Therefore. there is
a possibility that it was the bathing and not
the medicine taken that cured their insanity.
This same DIR. Melampus is supposed to be
the first one to have discovered the value of
iron rs a medicine, he having ordered Iphi-
clus to take iron rust in his wine for ten sue
cessive days.
The ancients used Hellebore to purify their
houses, also for snuff, and it is stated that
when Carneades, the Cyrenaic philosopher,
undertook to answer the books of Zeno,
lie sharpcned his wits by taking q few shifts
of powdered Hellebore, just as some of our
latter day professors indulge in pulverized
tobacco, and doubtless with nearly similar
results.
But our Black Hellebore, so celebrated
3,400 years ago has not in the least deterio-
rated or run out-a fact which it would be
well for our numerous believers in the
natural deteriotion of cultivated plants to
make q note of-but appears to be as healthy
as ever, having lost non of its ~virulent
properties during the long period Of domes-
~tication.
1t is about time, however, that this good
old plant received a little of the respect and
attention due it on account of its historical
position In Horticulture, il not for the beauty
OF bloom Or medicinal properties of the
roots, and we, are pleased to learn that some
of the florists of Europe are experimenting
for the purpose OF producing new varieties.
In a late number OF the Gardeners Chronicle
we observe the Illustration of a new Hybrid
Hellebore, produced by NJ. Heineman, of
Erfut. This gentleman hassaised several hy-
brid sorts of merit, varying IN color from 4
purple to greenish white. Many Of the latter
flowers are sprinkled with pink dots. Some
of the sepals are fringed, while in other flow
ers the tubular petals, instead of being in !
single row, are IN three series. This latter
change shows that there is a tendency in