HYOSCYAMUS NIGER. 19 
ATROPA BELLADONNA. 
LINN£ZUS. 
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE. 
Sex. Syst.—Pentandria, Monogynia. 
Gen. Cuar.—Calyz five-parted, permanent, nearly equal. Corolla campanulate, with a very short tube; limb 
with five shallow nearly equal segments. e/aments nearly as long as the tube of the corolla. Anthers cordate, four- 
lobed. Stigma capitate. Berry two-celled, many-seeded, subtended by the enlarged calyx. (Lindley) 
Sprcrr. Cuar.—Root fleshy, creeping. Whole plant fetid when bruised, of a dark and livid aspect, indicative 
of its deadly narcotic character. Stems herbaceous, annual, three feet high, round, branched, leafy, slightly downy. 
Leaves lateral, mostly two together, of unequal size, ovate, acute, entire, smooth. Flowers imperfectly axillary, solitary, 
stalked, drooping, dark dull purple in the border, paler downwards, about an inch long. Berry of a shining violet 
black, the size of a common cherry, sweetish and not nauseous. (Smith and Lindley.) 
This plant is a common one of Europe in waste places, and among ruins. It has been introduced into the gar- 
dens of the United States, and flowers and matures its fruit all summer. 
The leaves, the root, and the seeds have been used in medicine. The leaves are collected in June, and should be 
carefully dried; they should have afresh appearance, and possess a narcotic somewhat pleasant odour, and a bitter sub- 
acrid taste. The root is brownish externally, internally whitish, and has a feeble odour and a sweetish slightly bitter 
taste. The best analysis of the leaves is by Brandes; from this it is shown to contain Supermalate of Atropia, 
oe with malate of atropia and potash salts, wax, chlorophylle, phytocolla, gum, starch, albumen, lignin, and 
_ The Atropia is an alkaloid substance, crystallizable, odourless, soluble in alcohol and ether, but slightly in water. 
Itis a powerful poison. Luebekind has described as existing in it a volatile alkaloid which he has called Belladonnin, 
and a volatile crystallizable acid has been stated to exist by Richter. 
The medical properties of belladonna are those of a narcotic. In moderate doses it quiets the nervous system and 
produces sleep or lulls pain; in larger doses it is apt to affect the head and cause delirium. In overdoses it occasions 
death. A peculiar effect is to redden the skin, dry and exalt the redness of the mouth and fauces, hence the idea that 
it produces factitious scarlatina, and its use upon the absurd principles of Hahnemann as a prophylactic. It also dilates 
the pupil, and the parturient uterus. 
=e en in powder, in extract, and in tincture, externally in the form of the ointment and the plaster. 
ATE XLV.—Represents the plant in flower, the structure of the flower and the frutt. 
HYOSCYAMUS NIGER. 
LINNAUS. 
COMMON HENBANE. 
a «CS. Syst.—Pentandria, Monogynia. 
Gen. CHAR Cal * . 
3 — z tubular, infl “ : : 
4 Spreading unequal limb, divi Py 2 ated at the base, five-toothed, permanent. Corolla funnel-shaped, irregular, with 
into five obtuse segments. Filaments nearly equal. Stigma capitate. Capsule 
"yale Ms a convex lid, two-celled, cig (Lindley.) és : 6 
With long weak a =: Stem from six inches to two feet in height, taper, scarcely branched, covered closely 
clasping, oblong acute pped with a minute black gland. Leaves sessile, occasionally somewhat decurrent; stem 
those of the stem. coarsely and unequally slashed, pale dull green, slightly pubescent, with long glandular hairs, 
» Upon the midrib. Flowers axillary, sub-solitary, nearly sessile, embosomed in the uppermost 
