ENGLISH MEDICINAL RHUBARB AND HENBANE. 
85 
in Great Britain : but as the means of obtaining them is entirely out of my power, I can 
only say, that if I could be assisted in procuring them, I should feel great pleasure in 
carrying out such a series of experiments as might ultimately render an important 
addition to the medicinal productions of the nation. 
My attention has recently been called to the subject of the preparation of that very 
important medicine, tincture of henbane, in consequence of the very erroneous views 
entertained with regard to the character of the plant, and to the somewhat scanty, if 
not imperfect directions, contained in the new Pharmacopoeia respecting its preparation 
for use. It is out of my province altogether, as a grower and preparer only of medicinal 
plants, to call in question the correctness of the Pharmacopoeia from any other point of 
view than that of an omission. The directions given in this work for the preparation of 
tincture of henbane are, to use “ the leaves and branches of the indigenous biennial 
plant dried, when about two-thirds of the flowers are expanded.” Now I believe that 
almost every wholesale druggist in the kingdom will endorse my statement, when I say 
that up to the year 1862 but a fractional part of the tincture of henbane prepared in 
this country was made from the blossoming biennial plant; a circumstance not so much 
reflecting discredit on those who prepare and supply the article for use, as arising from 
the absolute impossibility of procuring the material to carry out the instructions of the 
Pharmacopoeia. If the question is asked, why the blossoming biennial plant had not, 
up to that period, been produced in sufficient quantity to supply the demand, I reply 
that, owing to the almost invariable attack made on the plant during the autumn and 
winter months by the wireworm, slug, and other destructive visitants, but a small pro¬ 
portion survives till the ensuing spring. Either the root is bitten through in several 
places or the bud entirely consumed. To this it must be added,, that of the plants which 
escape this ordeal, when they have reached the stage of their development pointed out 
in the Pharmacopoeia, namely, “ when two-thirds of the flowers are expanded,” the 
quantity of foliage is very scanty, and it will only pay the producer at a high price. 
Through some erroneous impression, that has long existed, and still continues to exist, 
respecting this very important plant, the first year’s growth is spoken of as the annual, 
than which nothing can be more palpably wrong, as the two articles, when prepared for 
use, vary as essentially in their external appearance as in their constituent properties ; 
applying this simple test only, that the annual plant, when dried, consists both of leaves 
and blossom, whereas the first year’s growth of the biennial must necessarily consist of 
leaves only. Assuming that, when the second year’s growth of the biennial plant 
cannot be procured, recourse must be had to the first year’s growth as a substitute, the 
Pharmacopoeia should have made known the comparative strength of the latter. No 
objection could have been made to such directions, when it could be shown that a second- 
class article must of necessity supplant a superior one, as occurs, doubtless, not only in 
this but in many other medicinal preparations. If, in the use of the two separate articles 
now under consideration, the same instructions are carried out, namely, to use two 
ounces and a half of the dried plant for a pint of tincture, and one should prove to 
possess two or three times the strength of the other, it assumes a serious aspect in the 
administration of so very important a medicine. We require a new definition altogether 
of the plant when dried for use. Instead of making two divisions only, as at present, 
annual and biennial, it should be classified as follows :— 
Biennial henbane of second year’s growth. 
Biennial henbane of first year’s growth. 
British annual henbane. 
German henbane. 
This would at once simplify the question, and prevent those erroneous views which have 
very widely prevailed amongst all parties concerned in its preparation and use. It will 
be seen that I have arranged the above classes in the order of their value. The two 
last-mentioned—the British annual and the German—although most extensively used, 
are so thoroughly undeserving notice, that they require mention only to guard the public 
against their use altogether. Of these two, the British annual is perhaps preferable to 
the foreign, and its appearance, unfortunately, approximates sufficiently close to the 
second year’s growth of the biennial plant to enable the vendor to pass it as such ; but 
if no other criterion existed than that it possesses no flavour or aroma, that would be 
sufficient to detect the imposture. Independently of this test, the leaves will be found 
much shorter; and occasionally will be seen a pure primrose blossom, which never occurs 
