38 



about 3 inches long, and have a heavy odor. The seed pod is a dry, 

 oval, prickly capsule, which, when quite ripe, bursts open and dis- 

 closes four valves, containing - numerous black, kidney-shaped seeds. 

 (Fig. 27.) The seeds are ill-smelling when fresh, as is the entire plant. 

 They are dull black, about one-sixth of an inch long, flattened, 

 wrinkled, and marked with small depressions. 



Parts used. — Both the leaves and seeds are medicinal. The leaves 

 are collected at the time of flowering, the entire plant being cut or 

 pulled up and the leaves stripped and dried in the shade. The 

 unpleasant narcotic odor diminishes upon drying. The leaves are 

 poisonous, cause dilation of the pupil of the eye, and are used prin- 

 cipally in asthma. 





Pig. 26. — Jimson weed I Datura stramonium L.). 



For the collection of the seeds the capsules should be taken from 

 the plants when they are quite ripe, but still of ;i green color. The 

 capsules should then be dried for :i few days, when they will burst 

 open and the seeds can be readily shaken out. These should now be 

 carefully dried. The seeds like the leaves are poisonous and possess 

 i he same properties. 



( >ccasional cases of poisoning of children occur from eat ing the seeds 

 o\' jimson weed and taking the (lowers in their mouths. 



Imports and prices. — From 100,000 to 1.50,000 pounds of stramonium 

 leaves (the name by which they are designated in the drug trade) are 

 imported into this country annually, and about 10,000 pounds of seeds 

 are imported. 



