﻿At Ryde, Isle of Wight : Mr. S. Woods. — Middlesex; About London, com- 

 mon: L. W. Dili.wyn, Esq. — Norfolk; By the road-side beyond Brooke, in 

 the way from Norwich to Bungay: Ur. S mith. — Suffolk; On Fritton Heath, 

 and hedges adjoining, very copiously : Mr. Woodward. — Surrey ; About Bat- 

 tersea: Mr. W. Pamplin, jun. — Warwicksh. About Salford and Alcester: Mr. 

 Pi'hton. On a nevvly-foimed bank of earth in the Saltisford Brick Yard, War- 

 wick : Mr. W. G. Perry. — Worcestersh. On waste ground near the church at 

 Little Malvern: Mr. E. Lies. — WALES. Anglesey; Produced abundantly 

 on breaking up a piece of old ground in the demesne of Maes y Portli ; which 

 had not undergone any agricultural process for at least a century : Rev. H. Da- 

 vies. — Glamorgansh. Not uncommon on dunghills about Swansea: L. W. 

 Dillwyn, Esq. — IRELAND. Abundant about the river Lions: Dr. Wabe, 



Annual. — Flowers in July and August. 



Root large, divided and fibrous. Stem from 1 to 3 feet high, 

 smooth, much branched, forked, spreading, leafy. Leaves from 

 the forks of the stem and branches, large, broad towards the base, 

 pointed at the extremity, variously and sharply sinuated and tooth- 

 ed, of a dark green, on round shortish leafstalks. Flowers large, 

 axillary, upright, white, sweet scented, on short upright peduncles. 

 Calyx pale green. Corolla about 3 inches long, white, with a 

 greenish, 5-angled tube. Fruit about the size of a walnut in its 

 outer coat, very prickly. Seeds kidney-shaped, black. At night the 

 leaves, particularly the upper ones, rise up and inclose the flowers. 



We are informed by Gerap.de, (1597,) that the Thorn-Apple was brought to 

 England in seed from Constantinople by Lord Edward Zovch. Mr. Miller 

 says, it was probably first introduced from Italy or Spain. It is occasionally 

 found wild on dunghills, in cultivated ground, and amongst rubbish ; on this 

 account, Mr. Ray (1690), and Mr. Hudson (1762), placed it amongst the Bri- 

 tish l’lants, regarding it at the same time as a doubtful native ; and later writers 

 on British Botany have followed their example. Kalm informs us, in his Travels 

 into North America, that it grows about all the villages, and that this and the 

 Phytolacca are the worst weeds there ; and Mr. Curn is says, that in the earth 

 brought with plants from various parts of that extensive country, we are sure to 

 have the Thorn-Apple come up. Every part of the plant is a strong narcotic 

 poison, producing intoxication, delirium, loss of memory, sometimes tiansitory 

 and sometimes permanent, convulsions, Xc. and death. Dr. Barton mentions 

 the cases of two British soldiers, who eat it by mistake, for the Chenopodium 

 album, ( White Goosefoot or Fat HenJ one became furious, and ran about like 

 a madman, and the other died, with the symptoms of genuine tetanus. To coun- 

 teract the effects of Stramonium, Read’s pump should be used, or sulphate of 

 zinc or copper taken till vomiting is excited. Vinegar is said to be a good anti- 

 dote to the effects of this poison. 



An ointment prepared from the leaves has been used as an application to 

 external inflammations and burns ; in the latter a remarkable instance is no- 

 ticed by Gerarde, p. 319, Johnson’s edition. — l ire Edinburgh College directs 

 an extract to be prepared by evaporating the expressed juice of the leaves. 

 This has been given with great, advantage in convulsive affections and epilep- 

 sies. Out of 14 epileptic patients, 8 were entirely cured by it at Stockholm. 

 The dose from 2 to 16 grains a day, (see Lond. Med. Journ. v. ii. p. 295). 

 This plant has lately been in great repute, for its efficacy in alleviating and 

 warding off fits of Spasmodic Asthma, being smoked like tobacco. “ It is 

 the root only, and the lower part of the stem, which seem to possess the anti- 

 asthmatic virtue ; these should be cut into small pieces, and put into a com- 

 mon tobacco pipe, and the smoke must be swallowed together with the saliva 

 produced by the smoke ; after which the sufferer will, in a few minutes, be 

 relieved from all the convulsive heaving, and probably drop into a comfortable 

 sleep, from which be will awake refreshed ; and in general perfectly recover- 

 ed. lie must avoid drinking with the pipe, but will find a dish of coffee 

 afterwards highly refreshing.” See Monthly Magaz. v. xxix. p. 409. 



The Chinese are forbidden by law from putting this plant into fermented 

 liquors, with a view to intoxicate. See Curt. FI. Lond. ; With. Bot. Arr. ; 

 Loud. Gard. Mag. v. ii. p. 337, &c. 



