1D2 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
some other disorders, '(f'rs used to some extent as an antispasmodic, aud is admitted 
into the new Britisn ' T ^'armacopceia, both as an extract from the leaves, and also the 
dried root. It is stifyfosed to be the plant that poisoned the troops of Marcus Anto- 
nius daring the Parthian war. Plutarch gives a graphic account of the strange effects 
that followed ^,fl use. He says that " those who sought for herbs found few that they 
had been in the habit of eating, and in tasting unknown plants they found one that 
caused madness and death. lie that had partaken of it at once lost all memory aud 
kin- 1'\ .led ge, but, at the same time, would occupy himself in turning over and moving every 
■ he met with, as if engaged on some important pursuit. The camp was full of 
ttnfiappy men, bending to the ground, and digging up and removing stones, till, at last, 
"they were carried off by a bilious vomiting, when wine, the only remedy, was not at 
hand." According to Buchanan, in the reign of Duncan I., king of Scotland (afterwards 
murdered by the tyrant Macbeth), Harold the Dane invaded England, while his brother 
Sweno made a descent on Scotland. Landing in Fife, he gained a signal victory, and 
pursued the Scots to Perth, and possessing but little martial energy, he intrusted the 
conduct of affairs to his lieutenants Banquo and Macbeth. While the latter was 
employed in raising fresh forces, the former negotiated a truce, engaging, likewise, to 
supply provisions for the hostile army. The liquor sent proved to be a deadly potion 
for the Danes, from an infusion of the Dwale or Nightshade mixed with it. The 
invaders, suspecting nothing, drank deeply, were quickly overpowered and murdered 
by their treacherous foes. This story is, however, so far in the regions of fiction, that 
but little reliance can be placed on the facts. Shakespeare, however, evidently refers 
to this circumstance in Banquo's speech, — "Or have we eaten of the insane root that 
takes the reason prisoner 1 " The common name of the plant is significant enough of 
its evil reputation among our forefathers, and the provincial one of Devale or Dwale 
is of very similar origin, being from the French dcuil, grief. 
The properties of Deadly Nightshade are due to the presence of an alkaloid, found 
in white silky crystals. It requires 500 parts of water to dissolve it, but is easily dis- 
solved by alcohol, ether, or diluted acids. The smallest quantity of the pure alkaloid 
will cause dilatation of the pupil, and a tenth of a grain swallowed by a man has occa- 
sioned symptoms of poisoning. Though so powerful in its action on the human body, 
the plant seems to affect some of the lower animals but little. Eight pounds of the 
herb are said to have been eaten by a horse without causing any injury, and an ass 
swallowed a pound of the ripe berries, no bad result following. Birds often eat the 
seeds of the plant without any apparent effect. 
GENUS IV.— DATURA. Linn. 
Calyx 5-sided-prismatic, 5-toothed at the apex, the base per- 
sistent, and spreading rotately in fruit, the greater part of the 
tube and the teeth splitting off circumscissily and deciduous. 
Corolla salvershaped-funnelshaped; tube elongated ; limb spreading, 
5- or 10-toothed; segments acute, plicate and convolute in aestivation. 
Stamens 5, inserted in the tube of the corolla, included or sub- 
exserted ; filaments elongated ; anthers not connivent, opening by 
Longitudinal slits. Fruit a leathery capsule, generally murieated 
or prickly, 2-celled, with each cell commonly again more or less 
