Belladonna

Deadly Nightshade / Devil's Cherries

Atropa belladonna

In the 16th century, Italian ladies used deadly nightshade to make their eyes sparkle, hence bella donna, which is Italian for "beautiful woman." Belladonna was one of the first homeopathic remedies, developed in 1799 by Hahnemann for scarlet fever, after he observed that symptoms of deadly nightshade poisoning closely matched those of scarlet fever.

Belladonna is a major remedy for acute illnesses of sudden, violent onset. It is usually given to people who are generally fit and energetic, but restless and agitated when ill. They are prone to sudden, explosive anger, marked by the desire to strike out or even to bite.

Typical symptoms linked with Belladonna include high fever, dilated pupils, flushed, dry skin, and throbbing pain, particularly in the head, due to rapid blood circulation. There is often hypersensitivity to light, noise, and touch, and also to rapid temperature changes.

Belladonna is typically given for acute pain, inflammation, or infection, chiefly of the upper respiratory tract. Belladonna  may also be used to treat menstrual pain (menstrual flow is extremely heavy and painful. The blood is hot and may be bright red or clotted), sunstroke, febrile convulsions, and mastitis during breast-feeding.

Uses

All parts of the belladonna plant are gathered for use in the homeopathic remedy. The plant is crushed and pressed, and the extracted juice is mixed with alcohol in an extremely dilute preparation.
Belladonna is used to treat complaints of sudden onset and infections with inflammation, such as acute fever with staring eyes and there is little thirst, or just a craving for sour drinks, flu, tonsillitis, a sore throat, a dry, tickly cough that is made worse by talking, and earache (especially right-sided), which is worse from getting the head wet or cold. Symptoms include: throbbing pain; a pale mouth and lips; a bright red tongue; a red, hot face; and dry, flushed skin but with cold hands and feet.
Other conditions helped by Belladonna include: pounding headaches in which the slightest eye movement intensifies the pain; boils; seizures; labor pain; swollen, red breasts from breastfeeding; cystitis; nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys); and restless sleep. It is also given to children for teething pain and to reduce a high fever.

Migraine - violent, throbbing pain. During a migraine, pain starts in the back of the head, radiates to the right brow area, and settles behind the eye.