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Hyoscyamus—principally 4. e/éus, Linn.—was medicinal among the ancients, 
and the ‘Yooxtauos ueras of Dioscorides, who rejected /7/. nzger as being too highly 
poisonous for use. The white species is also, according to Sprengel, described by 
Hippocrates. Pliny speaks of Henbane, as follows ** “ Moreover, unto Hercules 
is ascribed Henbane, which the Latins call Appollinaris; the Arabians, Altercum 
or Altercangenon; but the Greeks, Hyoscyamus. Many kinds there be of it, the 
one beareth black seed, flowers standing much upon purple, and this herbe is full 
of prickes; and in very truth such is the Henbane that groweth in Galatia. The 
common Henbane is whiter, and brauncheth more than the other, taller also than 
the poppie. * * * All the sort of these alreadie named trouble the braine, and 
put men besides their right wits; besides that, they breed dizziness of the head. 
As touching the fourth, it carieth leaves soft, full of down, fuller and fatter than 
the rest: the seed also is white, and it groweth by the seaside. Physicians are not 
afraid to use this in their compositions, no more than that which has red seed. 
Howbeit, otherwiles, this white kind especially, if it bee not thoroughly ripe, 
prooveth to be reddish, and then it is rejected by the physicians. For, otherwise, 
none of them all would be gathered, but when they bee fully drie. Henbane is 
of the nature of wine, and therefore offensive to the understanding, and troubleth 
the head. Howbeit, good use there is, both of the seed it selfe as it is in sub- 
stance, and also of the oile or juice drawne out of itapart. And yet the stalk, leaves, 
and roots are employed in some purposes. For mine owne part, I hold it to be 
a dangerous medicine, and not to be used but with great heed and discretion. 
For this is certainly knowne, that, if one take in drinke more than four leaves 
thereof, it will put him beside himself. An oile (I say) is made of the seed thereof, 
which, if it be but dropped into the eares, is ynough to trouble the braine. But, 
strange it is of this oile, that, if it be taken in drinke, it serveth as a counter poison. 
See how industrious men have been to prove experiments, and made no end of 
trying all things, insomuch as they have found meanes, and forced very poysons to 
be remedies.” The Arabian physicians also rejected 4. niger as a medicinal 
drug; but in later years it gradually took the place of the white. 
In Europe, the history of Henbane is remote. It is spoken of by Benedictus 
Crispus (A. D. 681); Macer. Floridus (1oth Cent.) ; in Anglo-Saxon works (11th 
Cent.) ; “Physicians of Myddvai (13th Cent.); and Ardolayre, a French herbal 
(15th Cent.) ; from which time it fell into disuse, until brought again to the notice 
of physicians, in 1762, by Baron Stérck.+ 
Hyoscyamus is now quite generally used by physicians of all schools, pre- 
scribing in the so-called physiological manner, as a sedative in various affections, 
such as epilepsy, hysteria, mania, febris nervosa, angina pectoris, etc.; as an 
_ anodyne in rheumatism, arthritis, podagra, neuralgia, gastralgia, colica pictorum, 
 cephalalgia, etc.; as an anti-spasmodic in asthma, croup, pertussis, phthisical coughs, 
_and irritable conditions of such organs as are mostly supplied with involuntary 
_ muscular fibres, as the diaphragm, heart, lungs, uterus, bladder, and urethra; and 
a as an hypnotic in all cases where opium would be used, did it not disagree. It is 
_— * Holland's Trans., 1601, 215. (Hamilton) _ + Fliickiger and Hanbury, Pharmacographia, 463. 
