SLACK HENBANE 257 



funnel-shaped, consisting of a short tube, with an expanded limb, 

 which is divided into five obtuse segments, of an obscure yellow 

 colour, and beautifully painted with many purple veins : the calyx 

 is divided into five short pointed downy segments: the five filaments 

 are tapering, downy at the base, inserted in the tube of the corolla, 

 and furnished with large oblong antherae : the germen is roundish : 

 the style slender, longer than the stamina, and terminated by a 

 blunt stigma : the capsule is oval, marked with a line on each side, 

 and divided into two cells, which contain many small irregular brown 

 seeds. It is a native of England, and grows commonly amongst 

 rubbish, about villages, road-side*, &c. and flowers in June. 



The smell of byoscyamus is strong and peculiar, and the leaves, 

 when bruised, emit somewhat of the odour of tobacco. This smell 

 is still stronger when the leaves are burnt ; and on burning they 

 sparkle with a deflagration, somewhat resembling that of nitre, but 

 to the taste they are mild, and mucilaginous. " Henbane is a pow- 

 erful narcotic poison, and many instances of its deleterious effects 

 are recorded by different authors. 



Out of the many instances of this kind, we shall only advert to 

 some of them, in order to shew that the roots, seeds, and leaves of 

 this plant, have separately produced poisonous effects. Dr. Patouil- 

 Jat, physician at Toucy in France, relates* that nine persons, in 

 consequence of having eaten the roots of the hyoscyamus, were 

 seized with most alarming symptoms ; " some were speechless, and 

 shewed no other signs of life than by convulsions, contortions of 

 their limbs, and the risus sardonicus j all having their eyes starting 

 out of their heads, and their mouths drawn backwards on both 

 sides; others had all the symptoms alike ; however, five of them 

 did now and then open their mouths, but it was to utter bowlings. 

 The madness of all these patients was so complete, and their agita- 

 tions so violent, that in order to give one of them the antidote, I 

 was obliged to employ six strong men to hold him while I was 

 getting his teeth asunder to pour down the remedy." And what is 

 remarkable, Dr. P. says, that on their recovery, all objects appeared 

 to them as red as scarlet, for two or three days f. 



* Phil. Trans, vol. 40, p. 44G. 



f Further accounts of the effects of these roots are given by Wepfer de 

 Cicut, &c. p. 230. Simon Pauli Quadr. p. 384. BJom- in Vet. Ac. Handl. 

 1174. p. 52. 



VOL. V. 5 



