SOLANACEH. XXV. Hyocyamus. 
sions of the root, or by seed. They are well adapted for deco- 
rating borders in early spring. 
XXV. HYOCY'AMUS (from $c voc, hys hyos, a hog; and 
xvapoc, kyamos, a bean, hog-bean ; these animals, according to 
JElian, being poisoned with it, unless drenched with water without 
and within.) Tourn. inst. p. 118. t. 42. Brunf. 224. Rivin. mon. 
t. 102. Lin. gen. no. 247. Schreb. gen. no. 333. Juss. gen. 
p. 124. ed. Usteri, p. 139. Gaertn. fruct. 1. p. 369. t. 76. 
Lam. ill. t. 117. f. 1. Nees, in Lin. trans. 17. p. 77. 
Lin. syst.  Pentándria, Monogynia. Calyx tubular, 5-cleft, 
permanent, ventricose at the base. Corolla campanulately fun- 
nel-shaped ; limb rather oblique, 5-cleft ; segments obtuse, one 
of which is much larger than the rest. Stamens inclinate. 
Stigma capitate. Capsule immersed in the calyx, 2-celled, many- 
seeded, operculate. Placenta fixed to the dissepiment. Seeds 
excavated and angular.—Coarse, clammy, downy, fetid, canes- 
cent herbs. Leaves decurrent, stem-clasping, sinuated. Flow- 
ers axillary, sessile, racemose, alternate, unilateral, disposed in 
2 rows, dirty yellow, veined with purple, or yellow with a dark 
bottom. 
1 H. nicer (Lin. spec. 257. hort. cliff. 56. fl. suec. no. 
199.) clothed with clammy villi; stem branched ; leaves sessile, 
semi-decurrent, stem-clasping, sinuated ; flowers almost sessile ; 
corolla reticulated; teeth of calyx mucronate. 4.H. Native 
throughout Europe and Caucasus ; and of the North of India, 
among rubbish; but always near the habitation of man; in 
many parts of Britain, among rubbish, and on dunghills. Oed. 
fl. dan. t. 1452. Smith, engl. bot. t. 591. Pursh, fl. amer. 
sept. 1. p. 141. Woodv. med. bot. 143. t. 52.—Blackw. herb. 
t. 550.— Plenck, icon. 97. H. flavus, Fuschs. hist. 833. Stem 
branched. Radical leaves pinnatifidly sinuated. — Corollas pale 
yellowish-brown, beautifully reticulated with purple veins; and 
with a deep purple bottom. — Linnaeus says it is not touched by 
any quadruped, except perhaps the goat. The English name of 
the genus is probably derived from its being noxious to poultry. 
In Germany the plant is called Bilsenkraut ; in Dutch Bulsen- 
kruid; in Danish Bulsme and Honsebane ; in Swedish Bolwort 
and Honsabale; in French La Jusquame ; in Italian Guisquiamo, 
Favaporcina; in Spanish Belena and elena; in Portuguese 
Miemendro, Velenho, Yosciamo ; in Russian Belena. 
The leaves of henbane have a strong and peculiar smell when 
bruised, something like tobacco, especially when burnt; and on 
‘burning they sparkle as if they contained a nitrate. From the 
writings of Dioscorides and others, it appears to have been long 
used in the practice of medicine. By Celsus it was applied ex- 
ternally as a collyrium in ophthalmia; for allaying the pain of 
toothache ; and he gave it internally as an anodyne. Its virtues 
depend upon an alkaloid principle discovered by M. Brandes, 
which is called hyocyamia. The use of henbane was for a long 
period entirely relinquished, until revived by Dr. Stoerk, of 
Vienna, in those cases where an anodyne is requisite ; and 
where there are objections to the use of opium, it is now much 
employed. In a moderate dose it often produces sweat, and 
sometimes an ewuption of pustules, generally sound sleep, suc- 
ceeded by serenity of mind, and recruited vigour of the body ; 
but, like other narcofíes, instead of these, it sometimes gives rise 
to vertigo, headache, and general uneasiness. With some indi- 
viduals it occasions vomiting, cholic pains, &c. In excessive 
doses its effects are fatal; general debility, delirium, remarkable 
dilatation of the pupils of the eyes, convulsions, and death. 
Upon the whole, like opium, it is a powerful anodyne; and, like 
cicuta, it is free from any constipating effects, having rather a 
contrary tendency. It is employed in wandering rheumatic 
A71 
pains, in indurations of the mammae, painful swellings—whether 
schirrous or not, scrofulous and cancerous ulcers, &c.: under 
the form of a cataplasm of the bruised leaves, with bread and 
milk ; of an ointment made of powder of the leaves, with wax 
and oil; of a simple powder sprinkled on the sore, or of a de- 
coction with milk as an injection. An infusion, prepared by 
digesting the bruised leaves in olive oil, is also usefully ap- 
plied in inflammations of the bowels, kidneys, urethra, &c. An 
extract from the leaves, or from the seeds, is the form in which 
it is given internally ; and it has been used with advantage in a 
variety of nervous affections, as mania, melancholia, epilepsy, 
hysteria, &c.; in glandular swellings; in obstinate ulcerations ; 
to allay inordinate action, or to mitigate pain. Its dose may be 
gradually increased from halfa grain: Cullen pushed it to the 
length of 30 grains to a dose. 
The extract of henbane has lately been much used by ocu- 
lists, for dilating the pupils of the eyes; in order to facilitate 
the extraction or breaking down of the cataract; to diminish 
sensibility ; to destroy adhesions ; to reduce protrusions of the 
iris, and to dilate contraction of the pupil. The mode of appli- 
cation is by dropping a few drops of solution of the extract into 
the eye, or applying them with a camel’s-hair pencil. The 
greatest effect is produced in about 4 hours, and it is generally 
over in 12 hours; and vision is not impaired during its ac- 
tion. 
Black or Common Henbane. 
2 to 4 feet. 
2 H. aAcnE'sris (Kit. ex Schultes, oestr. fl. ed. 2d. p. 383.) 
stem simple, downy ; leaves smoothish, sessile, semi-decurrent, 
sinuately toothed ; flowers sessile; corolla reticulated. ©. H. 
Native of Bohemia, Austria, Hungary; as well as of the North 
of India, in corn-fields. Mart. et Koch. fl. germ. 2. p. 225. 
Sweet, fl. gard. 1. t. 27. H. niger, Roxb. fl. ind. 2. p. 237. 
H. niger, P, agréstis, Nees, in Lin. trans. 17. p. 77. H. niger, 
B, ánnuus, Sims, bot. mag. 2294. H. Bohémicum, Schmidt, fl. 
bohem. no. 230.? Flowers rather smaller than those of H. 
niger, and darker in colour. 
Field Henbane. Fl. April, May. Clt. 1820. Pl. 1 foot. . 
3 H. pa’turwus (Waldst. et Kit. ex Willd. enum. 1. p. 228.) 
leaves stem-clasping, angular; radical ones angularly toothed ; 
flowers sessile; corolla one colour. (9. H. Native of Hungary. 
Very like H. niger; but differs from it in the root being an- 
nual, and in the flowers being yellow, without any purple 
veins. 
Pale-flowered Henbane. 
1 to 2 feet. 
4 H. 4'Lsus (Lin. spec. 257. hort. cliff. 56.) leaves peti- 
olate: lower ones orbicular, entire; the rest from cordate to 
ovate at the base, sinuated ; flowers sessile. (2. H. Native 
from the South of Europe to Tauria, among rubbish, on walls, 
Fl. June, July. Britain. PI. 
Fl. April, May. Cit. 1815. PI. 
and on road sides near the sea. Lam. ill. t. 117. f£. 2. Mill. 
fig. t. 149. Sibth. et Smith, fl. grec. t. 230. St. Hil. pl. fr. 
45. t. 5.—Dull. herb. t. 99.—Sabb. hort. 1. t. 191.—Blackw. 
t. 111.—Besl. eyst. 8. t. 8. f. 2. Plant clothed with white 
hairs. Calycine segments ovate: lower ones the smallest. 
Corolla yellow, or greenish-yellow, with a white or greenish 
bottom. The corolla varies, with the base dark purple or 
green; hence Miller has made two species, H. májor and H. 
álbus. The first of these having the flowers on short pedicels, 
of a pale yellow colour, with very dark purple bottoms ; and 
growing naturally on islands of the Archipelago. This is the 
H. major, albo similis, umbilico floris atropurpureo, Tourn. cor. 
p. 9; the plant figured in Flora Graeca. The second has the 
flowers in larger bunches, sessile on the ends of the branches, of 
a greenish-yellow colour, with green bottoms. This is a native 
