A T R 
■weather, the -ground will remain clean until the plant 
is fit for ufe. Where thefe plants are fown on a rich 
foil, and allowed a good diftance, the leaves will be 
very large, in which the goodnefs of the herb con- 
fifts. This mull be eaten while it is young ; for, 
when the ftalks become tough, it is good for nothing. 
Some few plants of each kind may be permitted to 
ftand for feed, to preferve their kinds, which will 
ripen in Auguft, and may then be cut, and laid on 
a cloth to dry •, after which the feeds may be beaten 
out, and put up for ufe. The firft fort is ordered by 
the College of Phyficians for medicinal ufe. 
The fecond fort was formerly cultivated in gardens 
as a Ihrub ; and, by fome perfons, they were formed 
into hedges, and conftantly fheared, to keep them 
thick ; but this plant is by no means fit for fuch pur- 
pofes, on many accounts, for it grows too vigorous; 
the flioots, in one month, at the growing feafon of 
the year, will be two feet long, provided they have 
a good foil ; fo that a hedge, of this plant cannot be 
kept in tolerable order, nor will it ever form a thick 
hedge. But a worfe inconvenience attends this plant; 
for, in very hard winters, it is often deftroyed ; as 
alfo, in very dry hummers, many of the plants will 
decay, whereby there will become large gaps in the 
hedge. 
But although this plant will not be proper for hedges, 
yet it may have a place in wildernefs quarters, where 
it will ferve to thicken ; and the ftiver-coloured leaves 
will add to the variety, among other fhrubs of the 
fame growth. This will grow eight or ten feet high, 
and, if luffered to grow wild, without pruning, will 
fpread feveral feet in compafs, and v/ill fometimes 
produce flowers. 
It may be propagated by cuttings, which may be 
planted in any of the fummer months, on a fhady 
border ; where, if they are duly watered, they will 
foon take root, and be fit to tranfplant the Michael- 
mas following, when they fhould be planted where 
they are to remain ; for they do not fucceed well in 
tranfplanting, elpecially when they are grown pretty 
large and woody. 
The third fort grows wild in divers parts of England, 
on the fea fide, from whence the plants may be pro- 
cured ; or it may be propagated by cuttings, in the 
fame manner as the former fort. This is a low under 
fhrub, feldom rifing above two feet and a half, or at 
' moft three feet high, but becomes very bufhy. The 
leaves of this kind are narrow, and of a whitifh co- 
lour, but are not fo white as thofe of the former. 
This may have a place amongft other low fhrubs ; 
and, if planted on a poor gravelly foil, will abide fe- 
veral years, and make a pretty diverfity. 
ATROPA. Lin Gen. Plant. 222. Belladonna. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 77. Deadly Nightfhade. 
The Characters are, 
If he flower hath apermanent empalement of one leaf \ cut into 
five parts ; it is bell-fhaped , the tube is fhort , and fwetts to- 
ward the brim , where it Jpreads open , and is divided into 
five equal parts. It hath five awl-fhaped ftamina rifing 
from the bafe of the petal where they join^ but at the top 
fpread from each other , and are crowned with large fium- 
mits which ftand upward. In the center is fituated an 
oval germen^ fupporting a J, lender ftyle , which is crowned 
by an oblong tranfverfe ftigma. Dhe germen afterward 
becomes a globular berry having three cells , fitting on the 
empalement , and filled with kidney-Jhaped feeds. 
1 his genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedtion of 
Linn^us s fifth clafs, entitled Pentandria Monogynia, 
the flower having five ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Atropa {Belladonna) caule herbaceo, foliis ovatis in- 
tegris. Lin. Sp. Plant. 181. Deadly Nightfhade with 
an herbaceous ft alk, and oval entire leaves. Belladonna 
majoribus foliis & fioribus. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 
77 - 
2. Atropa (. Frutefcens ) caule fruticofo pedunculis con- 
fertis, foliis cordato-ovatis obtufis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
182. Deadly Nightfhade with a fbrubby ftalk , foot-ftalks 
in chfilers , and oval , heart-fhaped , obtufe leaves. Bel- 
ladonna frutefcens rotiindifoiia Hifbanica. Tofirh. 
Inft. R. H. 77. 
3- Atropa ( Herbacea ) Caule herbaceo* foliis ovatis ner- 
vofis marginibus undulatis. Deadly Nightfhade with an 
herbaceous ftalk , and oval veined leaves waved on -their 
. edges. 
The firft fort grows wild in many parts of England* 
but is not very frequent near London. I have ob- 
ferved it in Woodftock Park in Oxfordftiire, and in 
great abundance in Uppark in Hampfhire» This 
plant hath a perennial root, which fends out ftrong 
herbaceous ftalks of a purplifh colour, which rife to 
the height of four or five feet, garniflied with oblong 
entire leaves, which toward autumn change to a pur- 
plifli colour; the flowers are large and come out be- 
tween the leaves fingly, upon long foot-ftalks ; bell- 
fliaped, and of a dufky brown colour on their out- 
fide, but are purple within. After the flower is paft, 
the germen turns to a large round berry, a little 
flatted at the top, and is firft green, but when ripe 
turns to a fhining black, fitting clofe upon the em- 
palement, and contains a purple juice of a naufeous 
fweet tafte, and full of fmall kidney-fhaped feeds. In 
fome places this plant is called Dwale, but in general 
Deadly Nightfhade, from its quality. It is rarely 
admitted into gardens, nor indeed fhould it be buf- 
fered to grow in any places -where children refort, for 
it is a ftrong poifon : there have been feveral inftances 
within a few years paft, of its deadly quality, by fe- 
veral children being killed with, eating the berries, 
which are of a fine black colour, and about the fize 
of a black Cherry, and not unpleafant to the tafte. 
Mr. Ray gives a good account of the various fynrp- 
toms it produces, by what happened to a Mendicant 
Frier, upon his drinking a glafs of Mallow wine, in 
which this plant was infufed : in a fhort time he be- 
came delirious, loon after was feized with a grinning 
laughter, after that feveral irregular motions, and at 
laft a real madnefs fucceeded ; and fuch a ftupidity 
as thofe that are fottifhly drunk have, which after all* 
was cured by a draught of vinegar. 
There is alfo an inllance of the direful effects of this 
plant recorded in Buchanan’s Hiftory of Scotland, 
wherein he gives an account of the deftrubtion of the 
army of Sweno, when he invaded Scotland, by mix- 
ing a quantity of the juice of thefe berries with the 
drink which the Scots by their truce were to fupply 
them with ; which fo intoxicated the Danes, that the 
Scots fell upon them in their deep, and killed the 
greateft part of them, fo that there were fcarcely men 
enough left to carry off their king. 
The fecond riles with a flmibby Item to the height 
of fix or eight feet, and divides into many branches, 
garnifhed with round leaves, in fhape like thofe of 
the Storax-tree ; thefe are placed alternately on the 
branches. The flowers come out between the leaves 
upon fhort foot-ftalks, which are fliaped like thofe 
of the former, but much lels, of a dirty yellowifh 
colour, with a few brown ftripes ; thefe are never 
fucceeded by berries in England. It grows naturally 
in Spain, from whence the feeds may be procured. 
It is propagated by feeds, which fhould be fown in 
the fpring upon a very moderate hot bed, juft to bring 
up the plants ; when they are fit to remove, they 
fhould be each put into a feparate fmall pot, filled 
with loamy earth, and fhaded until they take root ; 
then they may be placed with other hardy exotic 
plants in a fheltered fituation, and in Odfober they 
mufc be removed into the green-houfe, and treated 
as other plants from the fame country. It flowers in 
July and Auguft. 
The feeds of the third fort were fent me from Cam- 
peachy ; this hath a perennial root, which puts out 
feveral channelled herbaceous ftalks, which rife about 
two feet high; and toward the top divide into two or 
three fmall branches, garnifhed with oval leaves 
four inches long and three broad, having feveral 
tranfyerfe ribs on their under fide, which are promi- 
nent. The flowers come out from between the leaves 
on fhort foot-ftalks ; they are white, and fhaped like 
F f thofe 
i 
