258 VEGETABLE POISONS.- 



Respecting the seeds of henbane, we have an account given by 

 Sir Hans Sloane *, of four children who ate (hem by mistaking the 

 capsules, in which they were contained, for filberts. " The symp- 

 toms that appeared in all the four were great thirst, swimmings ot 

 the head, dimness of sight, ravings, profound sleep, which last in 

 one of the children continued two days and nights f." 



The leaves of hyoscyamus, we are told, were boiled in broth, and 

 eaten by seven persons, (five men and two women) who soon became 

 affected with symptoms of intoxication. Dr. Stedman says, " I saw 

 them about three hours after having eat it; and then three of the 

 men were become quite insensible, did not know their comrades, 

 talked incoherently, and were in as high a delirium as people in the 

 rage of a fever. All of them had low irregular pulses, slavered, 

 and frequently changed colour : their eyes looked fiery, and they 

 catcbed at whatever lay next them, calling out that it was going to 

 fall J." 



Henbane is poisonous to birds and dogs ; but horses, cows, goats, 

 and swine, it does not affect. 



There cannot be a doubt, however, that this plant, like others of 

 the same natural order, under proper management, may be safely 

 employed, and be found in many cases to be an active and useful 

 remedy. Hyoscyamus was well known to the ancients, and its 

 effects as an anodyne were experienced by Dioscorides } and with 

 this intention it has been used both internally and externally by 

 several subsequent writers, particularly by Celsus ; and in haemor- 

 rhagic diseases the sem. hyoscyami were successfully given by Plater, 

 Forest us, and Boyle. 



It appears, however, that for a long time past the employment of 

 henbane, in the practice of medicine, was wholly laid aside, till Baron 

 Stoerck published several cases of different diseases, in which an 

 extract, prepared from the juice of this plant, had been discovered 

 to be an efficacious remedy. These diseases are stated by the 

 Baron to be internal spasms and convulsions, palpitations of the 

 heart, madness, melancholy, epilepsy, inveterate head. aches, hae- 



* Phil. Trans, vol.38, i. 99. 



f See also Essays and Observations, phys. et lit. vol. 2, p. 243. Helmonf- 

 Ort. Med. p. 306. Ephemer. Germ, annis 7 et 8, &c. 



.j Phil. Trans, vol. 4T, an. 1750. For additional facts see Haller, La 

 Spielmanni Diss, de veget. ven. Alsat. 



