H Y O 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



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725 



affecting the head of some persons as soon as they come 

 within its atmosphere. Linneus says, that it is not touched 

 by any animal except the goat, who is not partial to it. , He 

 informs us that the roots of it scattered about a house will 

 drive away mice ; but who would endanger the lives of chil- 

 dren and ignorant persons by strewing therr apartments with 

 so dangerous a root, which the illustrious Swede himself 

 acknowledges to have been frequently eaten for parsnips, pro- 

 ducing delirium, madness, convulsions, and death. The root, 

 herb, and seeds, taken internally, are deservedly reputed poi- 

 sonous, for well-attested instances of their bad effects are re- 

 corded. Notwithstanding this, however, Henbane has been 

 used as a medicine from time immemorial, and there is no 

 doubt of its being a useful medicine under proper manage- 

 ment. The Edinburgh college orders the expressed juice of 

 the plant to be evaporated to an extract, in which state it 

 may perhaps be advantageously joined with opium, where the 

 purgative effects of that medicine are desirable, and costive- 

 ness is to be avoided : the dose is from half a scruple to 

 half a drachm. Villars says, the extract may be safely given 

 in a dose of two or three grains, gradually increasing the 

 quantity; but that it ought to be prepared from the plant just 

 going into flower, and in balneo inariaa, for it has neither 

 odour nor activity, if the plant be young, or if the extract be 

 made with an open strong fire. He administered it internally 

 in epilepsy and convulsions, and found that it put off the fits, 

 and diminished their violence, though it did not effect a cure. 

 Baron Stoerck, and others, have not only recommended it in 

 the above disorders, but in mania, hsemoptoe or spitting of 

 blood, the dry cough, and universally wherever an anodyne 

 is wanting to quiet the nervous irritation; beginning with a 

 single grain of the extract, and gradually increasing the dose 

 to five grains. Some more daring practitioners proceed as 

 far as fifteen grains ; but in general it is more advisable to 

 continue the use of t'he medicine longer, than to give it in 

 very large doses. It has been administered, even in a cata- 

 ract, to the quantity of two grains, mixed 'with Mercurius 

 Dulcis. The leaves, bruised and fried, have been success- 

 fully applied to the piles, and in muscular spasms. Like 

 other narcotics, they assist in softening indurations of the 

 glands. An oil expressed from the seeds is used outwardly 

 as an anodyne; and the common people sometimes smoke 

 them for the toothache, or put a piece of the root boiled in 

 milk at the root of the tooth. The roots also cut in pieces, 

 and strung like beads, are used for anodyne laces to hang 

 about children's necks, for preventing fits, and causing the 

 teeth to breed easily. A decoction of the Henbane has been 

 given in clysters, to assuage panes of the intestines ; but this 

 is dangerous : and, indeed, taken altogether, Henbaneis a medi- 

 cine not to be trifled with, nor to be at all taken without good 

 advice. Mr. Miller warns us, that a mixture of these roots 

 having been imported with Gentian, were productive of verv 

 bad effects. A variety of this species, has the corolla and 

 antheroe of a pure brimstone colour, without the least tinge 

 of purple. The seeds being sown in the botanic gardens at 

 Chelsea, produced the very same variety. Henbane is a 

 biennial plant, flowering in June, and native of waste places, 

 particularly near towns and villages in most parts of Europe. 

 It probably obtained its English name from a notion that it 

 is injurious to poultry, which, whether true or not, we have 

 had no opportunity of ascertaining. The Germans call it, 

 Bilseukraut ; the Dutch, Bilsenkruid ; the Danes Bulme, 

 Honscbane,&c.; the Swedes, Bolmort, Honsabale; the French, 

 La Jusqmame ; the Italians, Giusquiamo, Fava-porcina ; the 

 Spaniards, Bcicno, Veleno; the Portuguese, Miemendro, 

 Velenho, Yosciamo ; and the Russians, Bclcna. 

 VOL. i. 61. 



2. Hyoscyamus Reticulatus ; Egyptian Henbane. Stem- 

 leaves petioled, cordate, sinuate, acute; floral-leaves quite 

 entire ; corollas ventricose. It rises with a branching stalk 

 two feet high ; the whole plant is smooth ; flowers on a very 

 short peduncle ; corolla bell-shaped, red, beautifully netted 

 with dark veins. Annual, flowering in July. Native of 

 Egypt, Syria near Aleppo, and of the island of Candia. 

 This plant requires a warm situation and a dry soil, in which 

 it will endure the winter better than in rich ground. 



3. Hyoscyamus Albus ; White Henbane, Leaves petioled, 

 sinuate, obtuse ; flowers sessile. This resembles the Black 

 in most circumstances, but the leaves are more rounded or 

 obtuse, petioled, sinuate, very soft, bearded with white hairs, 

 as is also the stem; flowers fewer, the lower on longer pedun- 

 cles, the upper on very short ones. The corolla varies wild 

 the base dark purple or green. Annual, flowering in August, 

 and a native of the south of Europe. The seeds, which are 

 very numerous, small, compressed a little, incurved or kidney- 

 form, closely scrobiculate and whitish ash-coloured, are re- 

 commended as cooling, emollient, and excellent to ease pain. 

 They procure sleep like opium, but without affecting the head. 

 Taken in doses of half a scruple, they assuage the pain arising 

 from colic, and are excellent in coughs and other disorders 

 of the breast, spitting of blood, immoderate menstrual dis- 

 charges, and all other haemorrhages. 



4. Hyoscyamus Aureusj Golden-flowered or Shrubby Hen- 

 bane. Leaves petioled, toothed, acute ; flowers peduncled ; 

 fruits pendulous. This is a perennial plant, with weak stalks 

 requiring support. The flowers come out at each joint of 

 the stalk ; they are large, and of a bright yellow, with a dark 

 purple bottom. The style is much longer than the corolla. 

 Prosper Alpinus, and others, make two varieties of this, dif- 

 fering only in size, and the shade of colour in the corolla. 

 It flowers most part of the summer, and sometimes ripens 

 seed in autumn. -Native of Candia, and other parts of the 

 Levant. The seeds sown in pots as soon as they are ripe, and 

 placed under a hot-bed frame in winter, will produce plants 

 in the spring, but rarely succeed if put in the ground at that 

 season. This species will last several years in pots, if screened 

 from the frosts in winter, when it must be placed under a 

 common hot-bed, where it may enjoy as much free air as pos- 

 sible, and will thrive better there than if more tenderly treated. 

 It may be easily propagated by cuttings, which, if planted in 

 a shady border during any of the summer months, will taice 

 root in five or six weeks, and may be removed into pots, and 

 treated, like the oid plants. 



5. Hyoscyamus Muticus; Aumhss Henbane. Leaves peti- 

 oled, ovate, acute-angular; calices awnless ; bractes undi- 

 vided. Stem a foot high, a finger thick, erect, roundish ; 

 corolla on the outside at first green, then whitish, on the 

 inside very dark purple, with the two lowest segments whitisn, 

 bot finally the whole corolla becomes white and unspotted. 

 Biennial. Native of Egypt and Arabia. 



6. Hyoscyamus Pusillus; Dwarf Henbane. Leaves lan- 

 cooiate, toothed; lower floral leaves in pairs; cahces spiny. 

 Stem a hand high, brittle, oblique, undivided, having long 

 hairs ; corolla yellow, with a dark throat. Annual ; flower- 

 ing in July. Native of Persia. 



"". Hyoscyamus Physaloides ; Purple-flowered Henbane. 

 Leaves ovate, quite entire; calices inflated, subglobular. 

 Root perennial ; stems a foot high, simple, erect, round, 

 rough -haired; corollas purplish, funnel-form, upright. Na- 

 tive of Siberia. 



8. Hyoscyamus Scopolia; Nightshade-leaved Henbane. 

 Leaves ovate, entire ; calices inflated, bell-shapew even. Root 

 perennial, transeverse, knobbed, thick, irregular, branched, 

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