is rarely ever used in modern herbalism due to its concentration of various alkaloids, it has been used in the past against high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat; a standardized extract of V. viride alkaloids known as alkavervir was used in the 1950s and 1960s as an antihypertensive. The root contains even higher concentrations than the aerial parts. Anecdote Various sources mention its use by some Native Americans people to elect a new leader. This story appears to originate from an anecdote told by John Josselyn in his 1674 “ An Account of Two Voyages to New-England”. It is noteworthy that Josselyn's "Account of Two Voyages" have been met with skepticism since their first publication.“The English in New-England take white Hellebore, which operates as fairly with them, as with the Indians, who steeping of it in water sometime, give it to young lads gathered together a purpose to drink, if it come up they force them to drink again their vomit, (which they save in a Birchen-dish) till it stayes with them, & he that gets the victory of it is made Captain of the other lads for that year.“ The anecdote entered medical literature 161 years afterward, when retold by Osgood C. in an 1835 paper on Veratrum viride. While quoting Josselyn, Osgood introduces a political connotation (election of their chiefs/entitled to command the rest) which is unclear in the original version. " Its use in the election of their chiefs, is noticed by Joselin, an early visiter to this country, who calls it “ white hellebore.” According to this writer, that individual whose on the Veratrum Viride. stomach was least susceptible to its deleterious effects, was regarded as the “ strongest of the party, and entitled to command the rest.” References viride Medicinal plants Flora of Subarctic America Plants described in 1789 Flora of Western Canada Flora of Eastern Canada Flora of the Northwestern United States Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status