SOLANACEiE. 549 



chiefly in the form of tincture as a rubefacient and stimulant, espe- 

 cially in cases of ulcerated sore throat. It acts on the stomach as an 

 aromatic condiment, and, when preserved in acetic acid, it forms Chilli 

 vinegar. The species of Pkysalis are remarkable for their accrescent 

 calyx (fig. 304, p. 200). The fruit of some, such as P. peruviana, 

 Peruvian Winter Cherry, is eaten. P. edulis is the Cape Gooseberry. 

 The fruit of Lycopersicum esculmtitm is the edible Tomato or Love- 

 apple. 



We shall now notice some of the species belonging to the poisonous 

 sub-order Atropeai: Atropa Belladonna, Deadly Nightshade or Dwale, is 

 a highly poisonous plant. All parts of the plant are narcotic. The 

 fruit is a dark brownish-black shining berry, which often proves attrac- 

 tive to children. The leaves are the parts used in medicine, and from 

 these an extract is prepared. The watery extract is best made in 

 vacuo, but the alcoholic extract is probably the best. Belladonna is one 

 of our most active indigenous poisons. It owes its properties to the 

 presence of an alkaloid called Atropia, which exists in the plant in 

 combination with malic acid. Belladonna is used medicinally to allay 

 pain and spasmodic action, to cause dilatation of the pupil, and as a 

 prophylactic against scarlatina. Mandragora officinalis (Atropa Man- 

 dragora). Mandrake, acts as a stimulant on the nervous system, and 

 its forked root was long celebrated for its properties in this respect. 

 It is the D''Xn (Dudaim) of the Bible. Its root is easily made to 

 assume the human form, and hence has arisen the stories of the 

 plant shrieking when torn out of the ground. By the Arabs the plant 

 is called Tufah-al-Sheitan, or DevU's Apple. Narcotic properties exist 

 in the species of Hyoscyamus, more especially in H. niger, Henbane, a 

 biennial plant, with dingy-yellow flowers, exhibiting beautiful purple 

 reticulations, hairy viscous leaves, and a bilocular operculate capsule 

 (fig. 555, p. 307). The leaves yield by expression a large quantity of 

 juice, whence an extract is prepared. A tincture of Henbane is often 

 used in place of laudanum, on account of not causing constipation. It is 

 employed in medicine to procure sleep and allay pain, and it acts also 

 in dilating the pupil. The narcotic properties seem to be owing to an 

 easUy decomposed alkaloid called Hyoscyamia. An empyreumatic oil is 

 obtained from the plant, which is an energetic narcotic poison. The 

 roots of the plant have sometimes caused poisoning by being mistaken 

 for parsnips. Many species of Datura are powerfully narcotic. D. 

 Stramonium is the Thorn-apple, so called on account of its prickly 

 capsule. Its leaves and seeds are used medicinally as narcotics, their 

 qualities being due to an alkaloid called Daturine. They are pre- 

 scribed as anodynes and antispasmodics, in the form of powder, ex- 

 tract, and tincture, and the leaves are smoked in cases of asthma. 

 Datura Tatula and Metel, sanguinea, ferox, and fastiwsa, have similar 

 properties. The^ seeds and leaves of Datura alba, white-flowered 



