Assay in Man of the Chemical Fractions of Veratrum Viride, and Identification of the Pure Alkaloids Germitrine and Germidine as Potent Hypotensive Principles Derived from the Drug

Veratrum viride was a common herbal remedy for high blood pressure. By the late 1940s, it was widely recognized as a useful antihypertensive agent, however it unfortunately produced side effects such as violent retching, nausea, and vomiting. Freis and several of his colleagues at various Boston hospitals attempted to separate the active antihypertensive components of the drug from its emetic effects. In this article, they reported that they had successfully extracted two previously undiscovered active alkaloids (germitrine and germidine) that lowered blood pressure without the deleterious side effects.