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Henbane or Hyoscyamus
niger belongs to the solanaceae family.
Like Datura stramomium, it has a foul smell. Three
alkaloids -
hyoscyamine, scopolamine and atropine can be isolated
from the
plant. Henbane is derived from Anglo-Saxon words
Henn
(chicken) and Bana (murderer) because when fowls eat
the seeds
of this plant, they become comatose and die. The seeds
are also
the traditional ingredient of witches' brew. All parts
of the plant
are poisonous and if eaten causes delirium and other
anti-
cholinergic effects including mydriasis and cycloplegia.
It was
used to induce sleep as evidenced in an Anglo-Saxon text
'in case a man is not able to sleep, take henbane
seed and juice
of garden mint, shake them together and sear the
head therewith;
it will be well with it. |
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