HENBANE 



175 



Constituents. In 1833, two years after the discovery of atropine, 

 Geiger and Hesse extracted from stramonium seeds an alkaloid to 

 which they gave the name of daturine. Planta proved this alkaloid 

 to be atropine, and Schmidt subsequently showed that these seeds 

 contain the alkaloid hyoscyamine, associated with a small proportion 

 of atropine and scopolamine (hyoscine). Farr and Wright found 

 English grown seed to yield from 0-16 to 0-28 (average 0-22 per cent.) 

 of alkaloid, but as much as 0-5 per cent, has been recorded. In 

 addition, the seeds contain from 15 to 30 per cent, of fixed oil containing 

 daturic and other acids. The drug 

 yields about 2 per cent, of ash. 



Uses. In this respect stramonium 

 seeds resemble stramonium leaves. 

 An extract of the seeds is given 

 in spasmodic affections of the re- 

 spiratory organs. 



FIG. 96. Henbane seed. A, entire 

 fruit, showing dehiscence. B, the 

 same cut -vertically. C, seed, cut 

 longitudinally. (Luerssen.) D, 

 seed, showing reticulate surface. 

 Magnified. 



HENBANE SEEDS 



(Semina Hyoscyami) 



Source, &C. The henbane plant, 

 Hyoscyamus niger; Linne (N.O. Sola- 

 nacece), has been already alluded to 

 (p. 49). The fruit of the plant is a 

 small two-celled capsule, which de- 

 hisces transversely, the upper part 

 separating from the lower like the 

 lid of a box (pyxis). Within the 

 fruit is a large number of mi- 

 nute seeds ; these, separated when 

 ripe, form the commercial drug. 



Description. Henbane seeds are dark grey, about 1-5 mm. long, 

 flattened and obscurely reniform in shape, being slightly pointed at 

 one extremity (the hilum). Under a strong lens the surface, which 

 appears dull to the naked eye, is seen to be marked with very charac- 

 teristic reticulations. Cut longitudinally, parallel to the flat surface, 

 the seed exhibits a coiled embryo embedded in an oily endosperm. 



The seeds have no odour and only a slightly bitter taste. 



The student should carefully observe 



(a) The small size and flattened sub-reniform shape, 



(b) The reticulate surface ; 



and should compare them with 



(i) Poppy seeds, which are distinctly reniform, and have larger 



and shallower reticulations on the surface, 

 (ii) Thornapple seeds, which are much larger and darker, 



