188 A COMPENDIUM OF 
names Jamestown Weed, Thorn Apple, etc. 
Said to be a native of Asia, but authors differ 
as to its habitat. Suffice it to say it was found 
at Jamestown, in Virginia, by the earliest set- 
tlers, many of whom were poisoned by using its 
leaves asa salad. This annual is of vigorous 
growth, and attains the height of 3 to 6 feet, 
and is found along roads or waste lands. The 
leaves stand on short petioles, and are 4 or 5 
inches long, ovate and triangular in shape, their 
margins irregularly dentated, usually dark green 
in color upon the upper surface, and a shade or 
two lighter beneath; when found in the stores 
the leaves are in compressed packages; odor 
not peculiar, but grassy; taste bitrer and nause- 
ous. Stramonicum contains muctlage, albumen, 
ash and Daturine, which is said to closely re- 
semble Atropine. The leaves contain both light 
and heavy Daturine*, the former constituent 
predominating, and by the investigators who 
claim to know, identical with the alkaloid Hy- 
oscyamine*: Stramonium leaves are emetic, 
anti-spasmodic, and diuretic, actively poisonous 
in overdoses. Flowers funnel-form of a pale 
blue color, having a plaited border with acumi- 
nated teeth or points, calyx five-parted or 
toothed; within the throat of the corolla are 
five stamens and one pistil; when cultivated the 
flowers are large and handsome. The alkaloid 
Daturine has been used for dilating the pupil of 
the eye, but consid bitiiac ts a 
¢ , ered inferior to Atropia for 
this purpose. The fruit of the Stramonium is 
*Recently, that is within 6 i 
have be n 6 years, the names of these alkaloids 
and in some cases one ne the terminal a, and inserting me, 
: a 
pin, Hyoscyamin, ving ve gone so far as to call them Atro- 
