126 POISONOUS PLANTS 



embedded in the persistent calyx (see central 

 figure), and dehisces by means of a lid, or what is 

 called a " circumscissile " manner. It has numerous 

 very poisonous seeds. 



The whole plant is characterized by a very 

 "heavy," nauseous odour. It is poisonous in all 

 its parts ; and neither drying nor boiling destroys 

 its noxious properties. 



Having a thick root, this has been eaten instead 

 of parsnips and chicory ; and children have 

 eaten the seeds. As a rule no animal will touch 

 the plant ; but cows have been poisoned by having 

 the Henbane mixed with their forage, it is said for 

 the purpose of fattening them, A small quantity 

 of the seeds of the Stramonium, as well as of 

 Hyoscyamus, are sometimes added. The idea 

 appears to be that the tendency to stupor and repose 

 caused by these plants is conducive to fattening. 



In the case of man, twenty seeds were insuffi- 

 cient to prove fatal, though they induced grave 

 results. The effects are the same as in poisoning 

 by Atropine of Belladonna.^ 



It is recorded that the whole of the inmates 

 of a monastery were poisoned by using the root 

 instead of chicory. 



Dr. Houlton states that the monks who partook 

 of the roots had such hallucinations that the 



* Remedies for poisoning by Henbane are the same as for 

 Belladonna^noiQ, p. 122. 



