Belladonna

Atropa belladonna

A perennial, belladonna stands between two and six feet in height, with two or three branches and a purplish stem. Leaves are dark green and three to ten inches long. Bell-shaped flowers are dark purple. When crushed, the belladonna gives off a strong odor. All parts of belladonna are poisonous in the extreme.

Belladonna is at once a deadly poison and a valuable medicine. Its botanical name derives from one of the three Fates, Atropos, who in Greek mythology cuts the thread of life. One of the plant's popular names is deadly nightshade, and certainly to use it as a home remedy would be deadly folly. Yet despite such a deservedly grim reputation, this plant is universally known as belladonna, or "fair lady" in Italian. According to one story, the name comes from the plant's use long ago by Italian women, who dropped the juice in their eyes to enlarge the pupils and make their eyes more beautiful.

The chemical substance atropine in belladonna does affect the eyes in this manner, and eye doctors today use it to dilate the pupils so that they can examine the retina. Belladonna contains two other valuable substances, scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which, like atropine, are sedatives and act to relax smooth muscle. Individually or in combination, the constituents of belladonna (obtained from the leaves and root) are the basic ingredients in a variety of antispasmodics commonly prescribed today to treat intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, irritable colon, and peptic ulcer.

Other names

• Deadly Nightshade
• Devil's Cherries
• Devil's Herb
• Divale
• Dwale
• Dwayberry
• Great Morel
• Naughty Man's Cherries

Parts used

Root, leaf.

Uses

Folklore - Belladonna was believed to help witches to fly. Its other name "belladonna" (beautiful woman) is thought to refer to its use by Italian women to dilate the pupils of their eyes.
Relaxant - Belladonna is prescribed to relax distended organs, especially the stomach and intestines, relieving intestinal colic and pain. It helps peptic ulcers, and it relaxes spasms of the urinary tubules.
Parkinson's disease - Belladonna can be used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease's, reducing tremors and rigidity, and improving speech and mobility.
Anesthetic - The smooth muscle relaxant properties of belladonna make it useful in conventional medicine as an anesthetic, particularly when digestive or bronchial secretions need to be kept to a minimum.
Caution - The therapeutic dose of belladonna is very close to the toxic amount. Excessive dosage can result in respiratory paralysis, coma, and death.

Habitat & cultivation

Belladonna is native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, and is now cultivated worldwide. It thrives in chalky soils, in woods, and on waste ground. The leaves are harvested in summer, and the root is collected from the first year onward in autumn.

Research

Tropane alkaloids - The tropane alkaloids inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary body activities. This reduces saliva; gastric, intestinal, and bronchial secretions; as well as the activity of the urinary tubules, bladder, and intestines. Tropane alkaloids also increase heart rate and dilate the pupils.

Constituents

Belladonna contains: tropane alkaloids (up to 0.6%), including hyoscyamine and atropine, flavonoids, coumarins , volatile bases (nicotine)

How much to take

Powdered leaves, 1 to 2 grains.
Powdered root, 1 to 5 grains.
Fluid extract leaves, 1 to 3 drops.
Fluid extract roots, 1/4 to 1 drop.

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