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Show dag ees _ la. 182 HENBANE. HENBANE, BLS FOR Y. we are told, were boiled in broth, and eaten by seven persons (five men and two women), who soon becameaffected with symptoms of intoxication. Dr. Stedman says: ‘* I sawthem about Henbane is an annual plant, which grows in great abundance in most parts of Britain, by the road sides and among rubbish, flowers in July. Its smell is strong and peculiar, and when bruised somewhat like tobacco, especially when the leaves are compenmenencnss Dh oeKe fe AON Cane acl te burnt ; and on burning they sparkle, as if they containeda nitrate; when chewed, however, they have no saline taste, but are insipid, mild, and mucilaginous. MEDICAL USE. This, like the last, is often a fatal poison. Many examples might be produced; but out of the manyinstances of this kind, weshall only advert to some of them, in order to showthat the roots, seeds, and leaves of this plant have separately produced poisonous effects. Dr. Patonillat, physician at Toucy in France, relates, in the Phil. Trans. vol. xl. p. 446, that nine persons, in consequence of having eaten the roots of hyoscyamus, were seized with most alarming symptoms: ‘¢ Some were speechless, and showed noother signs of life than by convulsions, contortions of the limbs, and the risus sardonicus ; all having their eyes starting out of their heads, and their mouths drawn backwards onbothsides: others had all the symptoms alike : however,five of them did nowandthen opentheir mouths, but it was to utter howlings. The madness of all these patients was so complete, and their agitations so violent, that in order to give one of them the antidote, I was obliged to employ six strong men to hold him while I was getting his teeth asunder to pour down the remedy.” And, what is remarkable, Dr. Patouillat says, that ontheir recovery all objects appeared to them as red as scarlet, for two or three days. Further accounts ofthe effects of these roots are given by Wepfer de Cicut. &c. p. 230: Simon Pauli Quadr. p. 384: Blom, in Vet. Ac. Handl. 1774, p. 52. Respecting the seeds of henbane, we have an account given bysir Hans Sloane, in the Phil. Trans. vol. xxxviii. p- 99, of four childreu who ate them by mistaking the capsules, in which they were con- tained, forfilberts. The symptoms that appeared in all the four were great thirst, swimmings of the head, dimness of sight, ravings, profound sleep, which last in one of the children coutinued two days andnights.” See also Essays and Observations, Phys. and Lit.,. vol. ii. p. 243: Helmont. Ort. Med. p- 306: Kphemer. Germ. annis 7 et 8, &c. Theleaves of hyoscyamus, 183 three hours after having eaten it ; and then three of the meh were become quite insensible, did not know their comrades, ‘talked incoherently, and were in as high a delirium as people in the rage of a fever. All of them had lowirregular pulses, slavered, and frequently changed colour: their eyes looked fiery, and they catched at whatever lay next them, calling out that it was going to fall.”—Phil. Trans. vol, xlvii. an. 1750. Haller relates, “‘ that a young student of great spirit and thirst for knowledge (Simon), from an experiment on himself with this plant, became idiotic, and paralytic on one side, and was with difficulty restored.”—‘* Memini sodalem meum Simonium, cum Leide mecum, anno 1725. Boerhaavii scholas frequentaret, aconita, apocyna, belladonne baccas impune des vorasse, ab hyoscyami vero semine victum, nimiz# curiositatis penas dedisse, atque mente alienatum, alteroque latere resolu« tum, tamen a preceptore servatum fuisse.” Stirp. Helv. n. 580. Henbane, in a moderate dose, often produces sweat, and sometimes an eruption of pustules, and generally sound sleep, succeeded by serenity of mind and recruited vigour of the body ; but, like the other narcotics, instead of these it sometimes gives tise to vertigo, headach, and general uneasiness. With parti« cular individuals it occasions vomiting, colic pains, a copious flow of urine, and sometimes purging. In excessive doses its effects are fatal; general debility, delirium, remarkable dilatation of the pupils of the eyes, convulsions, death. Upon the whole, like opium, it is a powerful anodyne; and, like cicuta, it is free from any constipating effect, having rather a teudency to move the belly. Dr. Cullen says: We have indeed found the hyoscyamus to be often an agreeable anodyne and soporiferous medicine ; and we have frequently found it such in persons who, fromparticular Circumstances, did not agree with opium, and particularly because it was less binding to the body than opium. We judge, however, that it is more ready in full doses to give delirium than opiumis, and therefore we found it in many cases to give tur- bulent and unrefreshing sleep ; and notwithstanding its laxative qualities, for which we had employed it, we have been obliged to lay it aside.” Stoerck and some others recommendthis ex- |