 Deadly Nightshade |
ATROPA BELLADONNA This Nightshade bears a very bad character as being of a poisonous nature. The largest of the Nightshades, growing to five feet (1.5 m) with spreading roots and leaves like the Common Nightshade only larger. The flowers are a dismal purple and hang down like bells. The berries are like black cherries, full of juice. Where to find it: Woodland clearings in the shade of the trees. Flowering time: Midsummer. Astrology: Not assigned to any planet. Medicinal virtues: It is not good at all for inward uses, but leaves and root may with good success be applied outwardly by way of poultice to inflammatory swellings. An ointment made of the juice does wonders in old ulcers, even of a cancerous nature. The leaves applied to the breasts will dissipate hard swellings. A poultice made of the roots boiled in milk has been found serviceable for ill-conditioned tumours and foul ulcers. Sometimes even the outward application is dangerous, the poisonous nature of the plant affecting the skin. It can affect the pupil of the eye so that it will not contract even in the brightest light. Modern uses: The medical profession makes most use of A. belladonna, employing it in liniments, plasters, tinctures, suppositories and ointments. Ophthalmologists use atropine from the plant as a mydriatic to dilate the pupil before eye examinations. Extracts of the root are mainly used in lotions and other external applications - as an anodyne in neuralgia, gout, rheumatic pain and sciatica. Taken internally, it is narcotic, diuretic and sedative. It suppresses glandular secretions and reduces inflammation. It is not to be used as a domestic remedy. |