ATROPA. 



1066. A. Belladonna Linn. sp. pi. 260. Eng.Bot. t. 592. 

 Woodv. t. i. Smith Eng. Fl. i. 316. Common in Europe in 

 waste places and among ruins. (Dwale, Deadly Nightshade.) 



Root fleshy, creeping. Whole plant foetid when bruised, of a dark 

 and lurid aspect, indicative of its deadly narcotic quality. Stems herba- 

 ceous, annual, 3 feet high, round, branched, leafy, slightly downy. 

 Leaves lateral, mostly two together of unequal size, ovate, acute, entire, 

 smooth. Flowers imperfectly axillary, solitary, stalked, drooping, dark 

 dull purple in the border, paler downwards, about an inch long. Berry 

 of a shining violet black, the size of a small cherry, sweetish, and not 

 nauseous. Smith. A dangerous narcotic. Every part of the 

 plant is poisonous ; and children and the ignorant have often suffered 

 from eating the berries, the beautiful appearance and sweet taste of 

 which render them very alluring. The symptoms which they induce 

 are those of intoxication, accompanied with fits of laughter and violent 

 gestures ; great thirst, difficulty of deglutition, nausea, dilatation of the 

 pupil, with the eyelids drawn down; redness and tumefaction of the 

 face, stupor or delirium, a low and feeble pulse, paralysis of the intes- 

 tines, convulsions and death. In medicine Belladonna is *not only 

 narcotic, but diaphoretic and diuretic. It is extensively employed 

 especially in producing a dilatation of the pupil, when its infusion 

 is dropped into the eye. Among other properties it is said by Hahne- 

 mann and Koreff to protect the individual who takes it from the 

 contagion of Scarlatina. 



CAPSICUM. 



Calyx 5-cleft. Corolla rotate, equal. Filaments very short, 

 equal ; anthers converging, opening longitudinally. Fruit firm, 

 succulent, 2-celled, containing numerous dry flat seeds, not 

 mixed with pulp. 



1067. C. annuum Linn. sp. pi 270. Willd. enum. i. 241. 

 Plenck. offic. pi. t. 107. (Eheede ii. t. 35.) South America, 

 Mexico, East Indies. (Chilly, Capsicum.) 



An annual, of a dark green colour, almost smooth, growing 1 to 2 

 feet high. Stems angular, furrowed, branched. Leaves ovate or oblong, 

 acuminate, long-stalked, almost entire, sometimes hairy on the veins 

 underneath. Flowers white, solitary, axillary, pendulous, with dark- 

 coloured anthers. Fruit of various forms, round, oblong, cordate, or 

 horned, and either scarlet or yellow, in some varieties so little pungent 

 as to be used sliced in salad, in others intolerably biting till the mouth 

 becomes accustomed to it by habit. The fruit and seeds are a power- 

 ful stimulant, without any narcotic property. The well-known con- 

 diment called Cayenne pepper consists principally of the ground seeds. 

 It is employed in medicine, in combination with Cinchona in inter- 

 mittents and lethargic affections, and also in atonic gout, dyspepsia 

 accompanied by flatulence, tympanitis, paralysis, &c. Its most valuable 

 application appears however to be in cynanche maligna and scarlatina 

 maligna, used either as a gargle or administered internally. 



1067 a. C. frutescens Linn. (Goat-pepper) and 1 067 b. 

 C. baccatum Linn. (Bird-pepper) have similar properties, but 

 are more acrimonious. 

 509 



