HYOSCYAMUS NIGER. 
23 
bilocular and opens transversely by a convex lid, and contains 
numerous small oboval brown seeds ; the leaves and stalks are 
covered with soft hair or down. 
Sensible Properties ; — Henbane when fresh gathered has a 
strong disagreeable smell ; when bruised or burnt, its smell bears 
some resemblance to tobacco ; taste when chewed, insipid and 
mucilaginous 3 the dried leaves have little taste or smell, the waterv 
infusion is of a pale yellow, with a faint narcotic smell, but very 
little taste ; the yellow colour by the addition of sulphate of iron, 
is turned to an olive brown ; diluted alcohol extracts all its virtues. 
The roots, leaves, and seeds possess the same properties, but in 
different degrees. M. Brandes discovered that the virtues of hen- 
bane, like many other vegetables, depend intirely upon a peculiar 
alkalied substance, which he named Hyoscyamia.* 
Deleterious Properties^ and Action of Henbane on 
THE Animal Economy. Tox^cologists have ranked the black hen- 
bane among the narcotic poisons; and from the time of Celsus, and 
other ancient writers, to the present period, many cases are recorded 
of the poisonous effects produced by various species of henbane, when 
taken internally, or applied externally. The usual symptoms follow- 
ing an over-dose of this vegetable, are flushed countenance, loss of 
speech, delirium, remarkable dilatation of the pupils, convulsions, 
followed by death. Boerhaavg, it is stated, experienced a trembling 
and intoxication, in consequence of preparing a. plaster, in which 
henbane formed part of the composition. It is related by Dr. 
Picard, that a glyster, composed of the decoction of the roots of 
henbane administered to a lady labouring under an ulcer of the 
womb, gave rise to the following symptoms; face flushed and 
bloated, stifi'ness of the tongue, loss of hearing, stupor and drow- 
siness, hurried respiration, and loss of motion and numbness of the 
right arm, leg, and thigh ; and, in fact, almost every symptom charac- 
terizing a flt of apoplexy, except stertor and distortion of the mouth. f 
* (The seeds of the Hyoscyamus Niger furnislied to M. Brandes. — Fixed oil, readilj 
soluble in spirit of wine, 19.6; fixed oil, diflScultlj' soluble in spirit of wine, 4.6; 
fatty snbstance, analogous to cetine, 1.4 ; malate of bjoscyamine, with malates of 
lime and magnesia, and an ammoniacal salt, G.3 ; incrystallizable sugar, a trace; gum, 
1.2 ; bassorine, 2.4 ; fecula, 1.5 ; woody fibre, 2.6 ; phytenmacolle, 3.4 ; soluble albu- 
men, 0.8 ; hard albumen, 3.7; malate sulphate (?) and phosphate of potass, 0.4; 
malate of lime, 0,4 ; malate of magnesia, 0.2 ; phosphates of lime and magnesia, 2.4 ; 
water, 24.1 ; excess, 1.4 ; the ashes contained — carbonate, phosphate, sulphate (?), and 
hydrochlorate of potass ; carbonate and much phosphate of lime j much stfica, man- 
ganese and iron, and a very little copper.) 
t Trait6 de M6decine Legale, torn. iv. p. 25, Second Edition. 
