FOLIA HYOSCYAMI. - 463 



acuminate, coarsely dentate with a few spreading teeth. They evolve an 

 offensive odour when handled. 



Microscopic Structure — The testa is built up of the same tissues as 

 in D. Stramonium, but the thick -walled cells constituting the spongy 

 part are far larger, and distinctly show numerous secondary deposits, 

 making a fine object for the microscope. 



Chemical Composition — Neither the seeds nor the leaves of D. 

 alba have yet been examined chemically, but there can scarcely be any 

 doubt that their very active properties are due to Dot urine, for the pre- 

 paration of which the former would probably be the best source. 



Uses — The seeds in the form of tincture or extract have been em- 

 ployed in India as a sedative and narcotic, and the fresh leaves, bruised 

 and made into a poultice with flour, as an anod3nie application. 



FOLIA HYOSCYAMI. 



Henbane Leaves; F. Feuilles de Jusquiame; G. Bilsenkraut. 



Botanical Origin — Hyoscyamus niger L., a coarse, erect herb, with 

 soft, viscid, hairy foliage of unpleasant odour, pale yellowish flowers 

 elegantly marked with purple veins, and 5-toothed bottle-shaped calyx. 

 It is found throughout Europe from Portugal and Greece to Central 

 Norway and Finland, in Egypt, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Persia, 

 Siberia and Northern India. As a weed of cultivation it now grows 

 also in North America* and Brazil. In Britain it occurs wild, chiefly 

 in waste places near buildings; and is cultivated for medicinal use. 



Henbane exists under two varieties, known as annual and biennial, 

 but scarcely presenting any other distinctive character. 



Biennial Henbane, (Hyoscyamus niger var. a. biennis) is most es- 

 teemed for pharmaceutical preparations. It is raised by seed, the plant 

 producing the first year only a rosette of luxuriant stalked leaves, 12 

 or more inches in length. In the second, it throws up a flower stem of 

 2 to 3 feet in height, and the whole plant dies as the fruit matures. 



Annual Henbane (H. niger var. ^. annua, vel agrestis) is a smaller 

 plant, coming to perfection in a single season. It is the usual wild form, 

 but it is also grown by the herbalists.^ 



History — Hyoscyamus, under which name it is probable the nearly 

 allied South European species, H. albus L., was generally intended, was 

 medicinal among the ancients, and particularly commended by Dios- 

 corides. 



In Europe, henbane has been employed from remote times. Bene- 

 dictus Crispus, archbishop of Milan, in a work written shortly before 

 A.D. 681, notices it under the name of Hyoscyamus and Symphoniaca? 

 lu the 10th century, its virtues were particularly recorded by Macer 

 Floridus * who called it Jusquiamus. 



^ It had become naturalized in North - Pharm. Joum. i. (1860) 414. 



America prior to 1672, as we find it men- ^ S.de Renzi, CoUectio Salernitana, Na- 



tioned by Josselyn in his New England's poli, i. (1S52) 74. 84. 



Rarities discovered (Lond. 1672) among the * De Virilnis Herharinn, edited by Chou- 



plants "sprungupsincetheEnglish planted lant, Lips. 1832. 108. 

 and kept cattle in New England." 



