102 NAT. ORDER. LURID^. 



bridge, which fully proved that they are not less deleterious than 

 the berries. 



Belladonna has been best analized by Mr. Brandes, an apothe- 

 cary at Salz Ufrelni, who has discovered a new alkaloid upon which 

 its narcotic ^artues depend, which he calls atropia. He urges the 

 necessity of caution in the examination of atropia and its salts. 

 Even the vapor of their solutions causes dilatations and paralyses 

 of the pupil ; anil during the whole time of the experiments, Mr. 

 Brandes experienced violent headache, vertigo, pain of back, and 

 nausea, so that he coiUd scarcely continue them. On tasting 

 a small quantity of sulphate of atropia, which was rather salt 

 than bitter, he had extreme confusion of the head, trembling in all 

 his limbs, pulse weak, and at last retching. But the most severe of 

 these symptoms abated in half an hour. 



Propagation and Culture. The species of airopa are of an 

 easy culture and propagation. They will grow in common earth. 

 The shrubby kintls are increased by cuttings or seeds, and 

 the herbaceous perennial kinds by seeds, or by dividing at the 

 roots. 



Medical Properties and Uses. The whole of tliis plant possesses 

 poisonous qualities. The berries have a sweetish taste, rather sick- 

 ly, leaving a sense of acrimony on the tongue ; the berries, though 

 less powerful, are a narcotic poison, and furnish us vrith many in- 

 stances of their fatal effects, particularly upon children, who are 

 tempted to eat this fruit by its alluring appearance and sweet taste. 

 After they have been swallowed a short time the child is seized with 

 symptoms of intoxication, delirium, excessive tliirst, nausea, retchmgs, 

 grinding of the teeth, and convulsions ; the pupil becomes dilated and 

 immoveable, and an almost insensibility of the eye to external objects ; 

 the face becomes red and swelled, with spasmodic contractions of the 

 jaw; to these symptoms succeed subsultas tendinum paleness of the 

 face, coldness of the extremities, with a small, quick pulse, and the 



