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Show DEADLY NIGHTSHADE. 177 June or July, and its berries ripen in September, when it acquires a shining black colour. It is supposed to be the Zrptyvos pavinos of Dioscorides, and has been long known asa very fatal poison. MEDICAL VIRTUES. Ray found, by applying the leaves of the belladonna near the eye, a remarkable relaxation of the uvea was produced. Sauvages (Nosol.) supposes that the belladonna was the plant which produced such strange and dreadful effects upon the Roman soldiers during their retreat, under the command of Anthony, from the Parthians: they are said to have ‘suffered great distress for want of provisions, and were urged to eat unknown plants ; among others, they met with an herb that was mortal; he that had eaten of it lost his memory and his senses, and employed himself wholly in turning about all the stones he couldfind ; and, after vomiting upbile, fell down dead.”—-Plutarch’s Life of Anthony. The Scotch historian Buchanan relates, that the Scots mixed a quantity of the juice of the belladonna (Solanum somniferum) with the bread and drink which by their truce they were to supply the Danes with, which so intoxicated them that the Scots killed the greatest part of Sweno’s armywhile asleep.— Lib. vii. Rayrelates a curious instance of the effects of this plant in DEADLY NIGHTSHADE. ATROPA BELLADONNA. Class V. Pentandria. Essent. GEN. Cuan. the following words (Hist. Plant. p. 680) :—** Accidit, ni fallor, tempore pontificis maximi Urbani ultimi, ut quidam de famulitio cardinalis magni nominis (ut mihi hic Auguste retulit ejus hortulanus) infunderit in vino Malvatico herbamillam quam Bellam Order 1. Monogynia. Corolla campanulate: Stamina distant: Berry glo bular, two-celled. Spec. Cuar. Stem herbaceous: Leaves ovate, entire. ee insania vera, post stupor mentis qualis est ebriorumvigilantium. Cardinalis pro ebrio in carcere includit; deinde 4 medico qui DESCRIPTION. oloured Roor very thick, whitish, sending forth strong purple-c stems, from three to entire, oval, pointed, stalks. Flowers of a furrowed, the border five feet high. Leaves of an unequal size, in pairs, on short or hardly any footdark purple, large, pendant, bell-shaped, of which is cut intofive segments. HISTORY. d This plant is common in stony waste grounds, an Donnamvocant, daturam alias per noctemut ejus herbe effectus discerent ; infusum hoc propinarunt cuidam fratri mendicanti ex conventu S. Hieronymi, qui Patavii Fratrum ignorantiz dicitur, 4 primo breve delirinm, cachinni, gesticulationes varie ; dein : flowers ia rem subolfecerat innocens pronuntiatur, qui aceti cyatho pro- pinato, 4 dementia quam Bella Donna causavit eumliberat.”— Hachstellerus Decad. 7 ob. And Shakespeare, in his Macbeth, makes Banquo say, * Or have we eaten of the insane root That takes the reason prisoner ?” N |