HYOSCYAMUS 167 



references thereto in the "Arabian Nights," (88), of 

 which the following is a sample: 



"Presently he filled a cresset with firewood, on which 

 he strewed powdered Henbane, and lighting it, went 

 round about the tent with it till the smoke entered the 

 nostrils of the guards, and they all fell asleep, drowned 

 by the drug." History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib, 

 Vol. VII, p. 7. 



In the reproduction following, had Herodotus not 

 said tree, it might be accepted that the volatile intoxi- 

 cant mentioned by him, referred to this drug. The 

 presumption need not have disturbed an author who 

 made errors more pronounced than the distinction 

 between an herb and a tree, and who wisely qualified 

 his statement by "it is said." Indeed, as shown in our 

 article on Matico, that plant was originally described 

 as "Soldier's Herb or Tree." 



"Moreover, it is said that other trees have been dis- 

 covered by them which yield fruit of such a kind that 

 when they have assembled together in companies in the 

 same place and lighted a fire, they sit round in a circle 

 and throw some of it into the fire, and they smell the 

 fruit which is thrown on, as it burns, and are intoxi- 

 cated by the scent as the Hellenes are with wine, and 

 when more of the fruit is thrown on they become more 

 intoxicated, until at last they rise up to dance and begin 

 to sing." Herodotus (Macaulay), Book I, p. 99. i 



In like manner, probably through tradition, its uses 

 came to the people. The grandmother of this writer, 

 afflicted with asthma, found her greatest relief in 

 smoking stramonium leaves, mixed with small amounts 

 of hyoscyamus "henbane" leaves. This was probably 



