DATURA. 



219 



growth — United States Pharmacopoeia. The seeds are also employed, and 

 were formerly official. 



Constituents. — The only really important constituent of henbane ap- 

 pears to be the alkaloid hydscyamia. 



Preparations. — Abstractum hyoscyami — abstract of hyoscyamus ; ex- 

 tractum hyoscyami alcoholicum — alcoholic extract of hyoscyamus ; ex- 

 tractum hyoscyami fluidum — fluid extract of hyoscyamus ; tinctura hyos- 

 cyami — tincture of hyoscyamus ; hyoscyamina3 sulphas — sulphate of hy- 

 oscyamine. — United States Pharmacopoeia. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — Hyoscyamus is anodyne and hypnotic, 

 and is used in a great variety of cases requiring a soothing effect upon the 

 nervous system. In general terms, it may be said to have been employed 

 formerly in nearly the same class of cases in which chloral and the bro- 

 mides are at present so largely used. As an anodyne it is much less power- 

 ful than opium, but has the advantage of being laxative rather than con- 

 stipating, and of producing no unpleasant after-effects. As a hypnotic it 

 is less efficient than chloral, 

 but also less dangerous, and 

 much less likely to lead to 

 the pernicious habit of tak- 

 ing sleeping potions. 



Much of the uncertainty 

 attributed to hyoscyamus is 

 doubtless due to inefficient 

 preparations, made from old 

 and inert specimens of the 

 drug. Even hyoscyamia, the 

 active principle, is rather 

 unstable and unreliable. 

 Hence it is desirable that 

 preparations should be made 

 from the recent herb if pos- 

 sible. 



DATURA. 



Datura Stramonium 



Linne. — Stramonium, Thorn- 

 Apple, Jamestown Weed. 



Description.— Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, the upper part falling off after 

 flowering, while a small portion remains as a circular rim about the base 

 of the capsule. Corolla funnel-form, spreading, plaited, about 3 inches 

 long, white, the margin 5-toothed. Fruit a globular, very prickly capsule, 

 4-valved, 2-celled, each cell incompletely divided into 2 others by a false 



Fig. 148.— Datura Stramonium. 



