652 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



refused to continue the use of it, upon which 

 the sore again spread, and was painful; Ijutupon 

 a return to the use of the belladonna, was again 

 mended to a considerable degree, when the same 

 fears again returning, the use of it was again 

 laid aside, and with the same consequence of the 

 sore becoming worse. Of these alternate states 

 connected with the alternate use of and abstin- 

 ence from the belladonna, there were several of 

 these alternations which fell under my own 

 observation." 



The dose of this medicine, like all other nar- 

 cotics, should he begun in small quantity, as a 

 grain, and gradually increased. Six grains of 

 the dried leaves of belladonna is reckoned an 

 average full dose. A watery infusion of the 

 leaves also, contains all the virtues of the plant. 



Externally, it is used in local pains and swell- 

 ings, and to dilate the pupil of the eye in some 

 of its diseases, and previous to the operation for 

 cataract. For this purpose, a few drops of the 

 infusion may be dropped into the eye, or the 

 extract may be rubbed on the external part of 

 the eyelids. In about four hours the greatest 

 degree of dilatation takes place. 



The active principle of belladonna has been 

 discovered to l)e of an alkaline nature, and is 

 called atropium. Mr Brandes, the discoverer, on 

 tasting a small quantity of the sulphate of atro- 

 pium, which was rather salt than bitter, experi- 

 enced extreme confusion of head, trembling in 

 all his limbs, alternate rigours and heat, violent 

 tension of the chest, difficulty of breathing, 

 sinking of the pulse, and retching. The most 

 severe of these symptoms abated in half an 

 hour. 



MANDnAKE (atropa mandragora ) . The root 

 is perennial, and three or four feet long. The 

 leaves are radical, sessile, ovate, entire, waved. 



There is no stem; but the flowei-s, which are 

 white, with a bell-shaped corolla, divided at the 

 top into five notched segments, stand upon 

 simple stalks. The fruit is a large two-celled 

 berry, of an orange colour, containing many 

 kidney-sliaped seeds. 



This plant is a native of the southern parts of 

 Europe, where it flowers in March and April. 

 It was cultivated in England by Turner, in 1562, 

 and is not uncommon in English gardens. 



The superstitious and absurd fables formerly 

 told of the mandrake, would not now fora moment 

 impose upon the most credulous and ignorant. 

 The great resemblance of some of the roots to 

 the human form, the danger of taking them out 

 of the ground, and their surprising effects, were 

 all the invention of empirical knavery and im- 

 posture. 



The ancient writers represent the root of this 

 plant to be possessed of an anodyne and soporific 

 quality; in lai-ge doses, it is said to excite delir- 

 ium and madness. They used it for procuring 



rest and sleep in continued watchings, and in 

 those painful diseases tliat resisted other reme- 

 dies; inmelancholy, convulsions, rheumaticpains, 

 and scrophulous tumours. Tliey used the bark 

 of the root, either expressing the juice, or infus- 

 ing it in wine or water. The leaves boiled in 

 milk, and used as a poultice, were employed 

 by Boerhaave as an application to indolent 

 tumours. Hoffberg, also, employed the root in 

 discussing swellings of the glands, and internally 

 in the form of a tincture. 



Tliere is no doubt but mandragora has the 

 narcotic qualities in considerable strength; yet 

 it is rarely employed in modern practice. 



Garden Nightshade (solarium nigrum). This 

 annual plant is common in this country, and 

 grows about rubbish and dunghills. The flower 

 is very like that of the common potato. The 

 stalk is about a foot in heiglit; the leaves are 

 alternate, irregularly ovate, waved in the mar- 

 gins, and covered with soft down. The fruit is 

 a round, two-celled berry, of a black colour 

 when ripe, and contains several kidney-shaped, 

 yellow seeds. The smell of the plant is faint 

 and disagreeable. It has very little taste, but it 

 possesses the narcotic qualities of the class to 

 which it belongs in a considerable degree; even 

 the odour of the plant is said to cause sleep. 

 The berries are equally poisonous with tlie leaves. 

 Three children, upon eating them, were seized 

 with burning heat of the stomach and delirium, 

 accompanied by spasms and distortions of the 

 limbs. The leaves boiled in water, and eaten 

 by a mother and four children, produced swell- 

 ings of the face and limbs, followed by inflam- 

 mation and mortification; but the husband, who 

 partook of the same mess, felt no disorder. The 

 berries prove a deadly poison to poultry. Dios- 

 corides and Theophrastus mention this plant as 

 employed as an esculent; at the same time they 

 used it as an external application to swelled 

 glands, ulcers, eruptions of the skin, and diseases 

 of the eyes. The Arabians also employ it in 

 the same manner; and Ray speaks highly of its 

 effects in removing swellings of the breast. It 

 is not much used in the modern practice of the 

 healing art. 



Woody Nightshade ( solanmn dulcamara). 

 This is also a common plant, which grows in 

 hedges in moist situations. The stalk is slender, 

 climbing, covered witli bark of an ash colour, 

 and rises to six or seven feet in height. The 

 leaves are long, oval, and pointed, those near the 

 top are spear-shaped. The flowers are purple 

 coloured, with long yellow anthers. The fruit 

 is an oblong, reddish berry, containing many 

 flat, yellow seeds. 



The roots and stalks, on being chewed, first 

 cause a sensation of bitterness, which is soon 

 followed by a considerable degree of sweetness; 

 and hence the plant obtained its name of bittei'- 



