The plant commonly known as the belladonna is a medium sized perennial shrub. It can grow from two to six feet in height; it normally bears two or three branches and has a distinct purplish colored stem. The belladonna bears dark green leaves and each individual leaf is about three to ten inches in length from base to tip.
The belladonna also gives off distinct bell shaped flowers which are dark purple in color. The belladonna gives out a strong odour when it is crushed or bruised. The belladonna is an extremely poisonous plant and all parts of the plant contain this poison.
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This herb is also known by the popular name of "deadly nightshade." Since the plant is poisonous, using it as a home remedy would be bad judgment indeed.
However, despite the very grim reputation that is associated with this herb, the Italians have named the plant belladonna or the "fair lady" in Italian - a name by which it is also known universally.
This Italian name of the plant came about according to one story, as Italian women in the past used to drop the juice on their eyes so as to enlarge the pupils, thus it was used to enhance the appearance of the eyes - a cosmetic effect that beautified the appearance of the face.
Belladonna contains the chemical substance atropine which indeed affects the pupils in the manner described. Even to this day, atropine is used by eye doctors to dilate the pupils during an examination of a patient's retina.
Two other valuable substances are found in the belladonna - these are the chemicals scopolamine and hyoscyamine, these, similar to the compound atropine have a sedative action and bring about relaxation in the smooth muscles of the body.
Compounds isolated from the belladonna find a wide range of applications individually or in combination to this day, the chemical constituents obtained from the leaves and root form the basic ingredients used in a variety of antispasmodics are very commonly prescribed to treat intestinal diseases i.e. peptic ulcers, persistent diarrhea and an irritable colon among other disorders.
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Belladonna was recognized as a very poisonous plant even by early Greeks such as Theophrastus, way back in the third century B.C. The term "the Mandragora of Theophrastus" was often used to describe the plant. The plant's English name, Dwaule, was a derivative of the Dutch word dwaal, which means "to wander or to be delirious".
The belladonna is a perennial herb, it may be considered to be one of the more important species in the nightshade family of plants. The ancient Greeks gave it the name Atropos, as it was so poisonous, this is the Greek word for inflexible or rigid. The word "atropos" can also be a reference to "one of three Fates who cut the thread of life" in Greek mythology.
The plant species Atropa belladonna is taxonomically classified in the plant family Solanaceae; this plant family also includes common commercial plants such as the potato, the tobacco and the chili pepper among others.
The origin of this species is probably southern Europe and continental Asia, however, the plant is naturalized in many other parts of the world including the new world.
The belladonna produces green berries that change to a shiny purplish black color as they ripen. The berries are about the size of the common cherry, however, all are not agreed on the taste of the berries - some say the berry tastes sweet while others say that it tastes bitter. Many people at the same time say that the entire plant possesses a very nauseating odour and they cannot stand the smell.
Contemporary scientists and medical clinicians consider the belladonna as a very important plant due to its content of various chemicals. The fact that this species had an active constituent was known to the early Greek physician Dioscorides in the first century itself, however, it took another eighteen hundred years for the potent chemicals in the plant to be "discovered" or recognized.
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A chemical was isolated from the belladonna in the year 1809; the chemical had by 1819 been classified as being an "alkaloid" compound. At the present, the full complement of chemicals found in the belladonna has been investigated and we know it contains the poisonous compound atropine, as well as compounds such as scopolamine and hyoscyamine among other useful compounds.
The chemical "atropine is extremely poisonous" is noted in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia to this day. Atropine is very potent and it is said that a dilution of only 1 part atropine in 130,000 parts water is enough to induce dilation in the pupil of a cat's eye.
While all the beneficial and poisonous alkaloids are present in every part of the plant, the highest amount of alkaloids is present in ripened fruit and in the green leaves of the belladonna.
In some areas of the world, belladonna plants are harvested from the wild. This herb is commercially cultivated in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and California in the United States. The belladonna grown on some of these farms is even exported to Europe. Belladonna has minute and extremely small seeds.
One to two ounces of seeds or about 40 grams will be enough to grow ten thousand plants. This amount can easily cover an entire acre of land if the spacing between plots is at 2 X 2.5 ft. Belladonna plants require rich and moist soils for proper growth; the soil should contain a lot of fertilizer and should preferably be weed free.
Belladonna plants are vulnerable to pests such as the flea beetle and the potato beetle even though they are usually high yielding; they are also very susceptible to wilt disease. Once the plant is in full bloom, it can be harvested.
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Only a single crop can normally be obtained in the first year. However, this yield increases as the years go on and the following years can yield two or three crops on a single site. All the plants on a site are usually uprooted by the end of the third year as the alkaloid content of the plants is unlikely to increase.
The extremely poisonous content of Atropa belladonna has already been mentioned, at the same time, some grazing animals surprisingly eat the plant and the berries without suffering any noticeable ill effects.
The poison is probably absorbed into the bodies of such animals as people who eat the meat of these animals often suffer from extreme illness.
The skin can also act as a conduit for absorbing the poison in people who actually handle the belladonna plants. Severe cases of dermatitis are also often reported in people who come in direct contact with the sap present in the belladonna.
Some of the physical symptoms that affect people who ingested this plant include an inability to urinate; a rapid increase in the heart beat rate as well as sudden and unexplained fits of laughter. When taken orally, the overdose level is only 600 mg.
At the same time, dosage levels that are at any range below this overdose level can also induce dilation of the pupils, the sudden drying out of the mouth, spells of nausea and sudden vomiting, problems such as depression, an increase in the heart beat rate, failure in the movement of muscles, problems such as delirium, physical and mental exhaustion, psychological problems such as hallucinations, a general paralysis of the body, the onset of coma or even death caused by sudden respiratory failure.
These physical symptoms may begin to take effect only half an hour after the plant matter has been consumed.
The big question to ask then becomes, why is this plant still considered beneficial, if it induces all of these "bad" effects when used by humans?
The answer is that there are positive and negative aspects to the use of the plant due to the fact that so many uses for the plant can be found - the plant has good and bad properties depending on how it is used.
Belladonna was used by the ancient Romans as a type of biological "weapon" used to contaminate the food reserves and water supplies of their enemies.
Belladonna may have also been used in religious rituals of the Greeks and Romans, some believe that the famous Bacchanalian orgies during the course of which women went naked in frenzied dances, literally throwing themselves to the waiting men would not have been induced by the use of alcohol alone, this is because the property of the A. belladonna was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans and the plant was probably used during these ritual festivities.
Such festive rituals were forced underground on the advent of Christianity in the ancient Mediterranean; one result was that the belladonna began to be associated with the making of so called sorcerers' and witches brews. Belladonna was also used in surgical processes in the ancient world.
Surgery in the ancient world was performed by applying an herbal concoction made by mixing hemlock, mandrake, A. belladonna and henbane - also known as "sorcerers promade", when this paste was applied to the skin it induced a form of unconsciousness and primitive operations were performed using this herbal mixture as a proto-anesthetic.
Another well known legend associated with the belladonna is that the Scottish army defeated the Danes by supposedly mixing the belladonna in the liquor supply of the latter. The Scotsmen, it is said waited until all the Danes fell into a deep sleep after they drank the spiced liquor and then they murdered the helpless Danes.
Belladonna as has been mentioned before was also used as an eye cosmetic, and Spanish as well as Italian women dilated their pupils using drops of the juice, only greatly diluted solutions of the plant juice were however used for such purposes as the poisonous nature of the plant was well known.
The modern medical field of ophthalmology still gives lays great emphasis on this use of the plant for the dilation of the pupil. Scopolamine, the other active chemical agent present in belladonna was added to morphine in 1902 and was found to be capable of inducing a trance called "twilight sleep"- this effect was found to help reduce the pain during childbirth and lessened the mortality rate.
This mixture of two compounds was also the infamous "truth serum" made used of in so many legal battles and court cases years before. One troubling factor is that this so called "serum" may still be in use in some countries for purposes of "brain-washing", and other sinister applications.
Atropine, the primary chemical in belladonna came into its own during World War II; the Germans had synthesized a type of nerve gas that was lethal, odorless, and colorless. Atropine was the only antidote that could prevent the paralyzing effect of this nerve gas. It is fortunate that the Germans never used the nerve gas in actual combat during World War II.
Atropine used in the role of a life saving chemical is reported more recently from an incident in the state of Tijuana, Mexico, in 1967. The deadly insecticide - parathion - had affected many people when they ingested bread which had been exposed to the dangerous chemical, in this instance, atropine was used as an agent to save many lives from the effects of the insecticide.
A number of medical disorders have also been treated using the chemical atropine in recent times, these disorders include problems such as asthma, a slow heart beat rate or bradycardia, disorders like the whooping cough, gastric ulcers, allergen induced hay fever and most impressive, the chemical has been used in treating tremors and paralysis associated with Parkinson's disease - a debilitating muscular disease.
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Remedies prepared from the belladonna plant are normally prescribed to bring a relaxing effect on distended organs; this is particularly beneficial for patients with problems in the stomach and the intestines.
The remedies made from the belladonna are also helpful in bringing relief from intestinal colic and pain in the abdominal region. The belladonna remedies help in dealing with peptic ulcers, and it can also help relax spasms along the urinary tubules.
The remedies made from the belladonna can also be used in treating the physical symptoms seen in people affected by Parkinson's disease, the herbal remedy helps in reducing the tremors and lessens the rigidity in the body, and improves speech and mobility in the patient at the same time.
Belladonna with its ability to bring a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles relaxant is useful in conventional medicine where it is made into an anesthetic, especially in procedures where digestive or bronchial secretions must be kept suppressed. The therapeutic belladonna dosage level is almost equal to the toxic dose, and the dosage regimen must always be monitored.
Patients given belladonna at excessive dosage levels can suffer from respiratory paralysis, they may even go into a coma, and in some cases death may also be the unfortunate result.
Belladonna has narcotic effects, it is also a known diuretic, and in addition, it possesses sedative, antispasmodic and mydriatic effects. As far as the treatment of eye diseases is concerned, the belladonna scores high marks.
The alkaloid known as atropine, which is extracted from the herb is the most important chemical constituent due to its ability of dilating the pupil in the eye.
The pupils of a person are dilated with atropine no matter how it is used, consumed internally or injected under the skin the dilation in the pupil is always the first effect. However, when it is dropped directly on the eye, the effect occurs much more rapidly and a smaller volume of diluted atropine usually suffices for the purpose.
Oculists use tiny discs to test a patient's sight before they prescribe glasses, these discs are made from gelatine with 1/50000 grain of atropine in each disc - a single disk weighs about 1/50 grain. There is hardly a safe operation performed on the eye without using this valuable alkaloid.
Atropine is however, a very potent poison, the doses of atropine given to a patient for consumption is exceedingly minute, only about 1/200 to 1/100 grain is given as a dose to any patient.
Atropine is also injected subcutaneously and used as an antidote for opium, this chemical has also been utilized in cases of poisoning induced by calabar bean, and it also finds use in some cases of chloroform poisoning.
Large doses of atropine can paralyze the nerve endings of involuntary muscles, though it induces no effect on the voluntary muscles, the danger is that the paralysis of the nerve endings found on involuntary muscles will finally affect the central nervous system, and this situation will induce sudden mental excitement and delirium progressing to other severe problems for the patient.
All the different herbal preparations and remedies made using the belladonna have many medicinal uses. When the topical remedy is applied locally on the skin, it acts to lessen irritability and pain, and belladonna is used as a topical herbal lotion. This remedy is sometimes used as a plaster or liniment to treat cases of neuralgia, gout, rheumatism and sciatica in a person affected by such disorders.
When the belladonna is used as a drug, it is particularly good for its action on the brain and the urinary bladder in disorders connected to these organs. Belladonna remedies are used to stanch excessive secretions, and also in reducing inflammation in the body.
The remedy is also used to lessen sweating symptomatic of phthisis and other physically exhausting diseases that affect people around the world.
Used in small doses, the remedy can reduce heart palpitation, and a plaster of the remedy applied to the chest over the cardiac region will help eliminate pain and distress felt by the patient.
The remedy made from the belladonna is also a very powerful anti-spasmodic and aids in dealing with intestinal colic and spasmodic asthma. To help bring relief from spasmodic asthma, cigarettes made from the leaves of the belladonna are occasionally given to patients.
The remedy is ideal for children, they tolerate the remedy well even when it is prescribed in large doses for treating disorders such as whooping cough and false croup - two very common diseases in children.
Belladonna also has a very effective action on the circulation in the body, and it is usually given in cases of the pulmonary collapse during pneumonia - it is also used in treating typhoid fever and many acute diseases. Belladonna can actively hike the heart beat rate to 20 to 40 beats per minute, without lessening the pressure.
The remedy is also effective in treating an acute case of soreness in the throat, and actively aids in bringing relief from local inflammation and congestion in the chest.
A noted physician of the past eras, Hahnemann proved experimentally that an herbal belladonna tincture will protect a person from scarlet fever if it was given in very small doses.
The belief at one time was that a cure for cancer could be found in the leaves of the belladonna, people believed the leaves when applied as a topical poultice, in either fresh or dried and powdered form could help remove tumors on the body.
Plasters made from the belladonna are often applied on the site of external injury, particularly following a bad fall, and such applications can alleviate the injured or sprained part of the body.
To treat corns and bunions on the body, an herbal mixture of belladonna plaster, some salicylic acid and lead plaster is normally recommended by herbalist.
The belladonna is cultivated world wide, but it was originally a native species of Europe, growing in the wild in parts of Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.
The species grows well in soils that have a chalky composition; it thrives in woods and on waste grounds. The leaves of the herb are collected in the summer months, while the roots are dug up in the fall.
The percentage of alkaloid contained in the various parts of the belladonna herb is the main factor considered when the plant is sold in the market, the various aerial parts and roots are sold by analysis, and the value depends on alkaloid content.
The amount of alkaloid present in any part of the plant shows a wide variation. For this reason, it is very important, to cultivate the crop only under such conditions of soil and temperature which are most likely to result in the accumulation of the highest percentage of various alkaloids.
Ideally, it would be best to find out the soil type that results in the maximum accumulation of alkaloids in the herb. However, with specimens of the plant taken from the wild, it has been difficult to trace all the conditions that determine the variations in alkaloid content - the saving grace is the discovery that a light, permeable and chalky soil is ideal for this crop as plants grown in such soils typically contain higher amounts of useful alkaloids.
Plants grown in such soils with the added advantage of a site on the south-west aspect of the slope of a hill have been show to gives particularly good results - plants grown in such conditions show a higher percentage of alkaloids.
The climatic range within which the plant grows best lies between 50 degrees and 55 degrees N. Lat. and the plant can grow best at an altitude range of 300 to 600 feet, though plant populations can be found at sea level where the soil is calcareous, particularly where drainage is good and the required amount of shade can be found in the area.
The suitability of the soil in which the plants are grown is of the greatest importance to determine their alkaloid content. While cultivated plant tend to contain far less alkaloids than plant grown in the wild, this may apply only to plants transported to a soils that are unsuited for good growth.
At the same time, the percentage of alkaloids in the plants have also been found to be increased through the use of artificial aids, including the judicious selection of manure, the cleansing and preparation of the soil, the destruction of weeds.
When these are conducted in accordance with the latest scientific practice, they have been shown to result in a great improvement of the plants in all respects; they increase the bulk of growing plants, increase the yield and hike the percentage weight of alkaloid contained in the plants.
Plants were studied for nine years in one test, notes as well as statistics on the plants were taken from one season to the next, these examinations extending over nine years showed that the atmospheric conditions around the plants had a marked influence on the absolute alkaloid content of the belladonna plants.
Plants grown in sunny and dry seasons typically had the highest percentage of alkaloid yields compared to plants grown in other seasons.
The alkaloid content of individual plants did not show any marked variation at different stages of growth when plants were tested from June to September.
However, the alkaloid content of individual plants begins to fade in the fall and there is rapid loss of alkaloids, therefore, the ideal time to gather leaves may be from the month of June in the summer until the falling of the leaves and shoots in late fall.
Seeds that are sown during the fall do not always germinate, which is why, seeds are best sown in boxes inside a cool house or on a frame, early in March.
Seeds must first be soaked with boiling water or baked for a short time in an oven, in order to destroy the embryo of a small parasitic snail that along with a variety of other plant slugs and insects, is likely to attack the seedlings at a later time - the seeds must only be planted after they are all treated in this way.
At the bottom of the seed boxes, some pieces of chalk or lime can be placed along with the drainage rubble to facilitate water flow. The germination period of the belladonna seeds is long and seeds are very slow in germinating, the average seed will take four to six weeks or even longer to put out growth.
A general rule concerning belladonna seeds is that only about seventy per cent of all seeds sown can be relied upon to germinate. As the seeds of the belladonna are so vulnerable to attack by insect pests, especially if they are sown in the open, any of the potential seed beds must first be prepared with the greatest of care.
To prepare the seed beds, the initial treatment is to burn some rubbish on the ground, in this treatment, the whole soil is dug up and fired all over, all kinds of burnt vegetable material and organic rubbish is worked into the soil. Once the soil has been treated in this way, it is stirred up thoroughly and left as such for a few days exposed to the air and sunlight.
Once this period of aeration is over, the ground is levelled and raked finely and finally given a thorough drenching with boiling water to kill any remaining parasitic spores or insects.
After this, the soil is left to dry and once it becomes friable, some sharp grit sand is added on the surface, this is again raked and only then are the seeds sown in a thin layer on the surface of the soil.
The seeds require considerable moisture to undergo germination at a proper time. Once the plants sprout out, the growing seedlings will become ready for planting out in the month of May, a period when the fear of frost has disappeared. Seedlings at the time of transplantation should ideally be about one and a half inch high each.
These seedlings may be placed into the soil following the rain, or in case of dry weather, the ground should be well watered first. For several days, the seedlings must be covered in and shaded from direct sun light using inverted flower pots.
Late frost can easily injure the seedlings and the use of a light top dressing of farmyard manure or leaf mould will serve to preserve young shoots from physical injury during the onset of any sudden or dangerous change in temperature and other unpredictable atmospheric phenomenon. Belladonna plants grow best in shaded sites.
The many difficulties associated with the cultivation of belladonna in the United States have been overcome by interspersing these plants with rows of scarlet runners, the other plants shade the growing herb, and this allows the belladonna to grow rapidly.
Following transplantation, the healthy young plants will soon re-established at a new site, however, they will require regular watering in case of dry weather.
The growing belladonna plants need to be cared for, and all plants must be checked for parasites, the entire area where the crop is growing must be free from weeds and it is suggested that harvesting be done by hand.
The lone stem on each plant will reach about one and a half to two and a half feet by the month of September. If the plants in a crop are healthy and strong, then the leaves may be gathered at this time.
The term 'leaves' used here is inclusive of the broken off tips of each plant, however, the coarser stems can be left on the plant and any of discolored part of the plants must be rejected and thrown away.
Any single plant must not be plucked of all the leaves, and leaving a plant denuded of leaves will result in the death of the plant.
Each individual plant must be thinned to two and a half to three feet apart from any other neighboring plant as winter approaches, as overcrowding can be a problem in the second year. This is because, in the second year, each plant will typically bear one or two strong stems and may take up more space at the site.
Another method to propagate the belladonna is to use the green tips and cuttings from the side branches. These root well and quite easily in early summer.
The buds with a piece attached root can be taken off bigger roots in April and these may be planted to get new plants. This method of propagation is a very successful way of rapid propagation to grow bigger and strong plants at any site.
The majority of plants are lost in years with wet winters. This is because, young seedling unless they are protected by fallen dead leaves die off easily during the winter.
The loss of plants during the winter is less likely to occur if they plants are growing on lighter soils, however, plants are much more likely to suffer damage from drought in the summer months.
Belladonna is also vulnerable to some insect pests. The primary insect species that attacks the leaves of the belladonna is an insect often called the 'flea beetle,' young plants are vulnerable to this insect.
Such insects can attack plants if they are growing at sites exposed to plenty of sunlight in open areas. Plants growing at such sites attract the worst attacks from the beetle.
Plants grown in their natural habitat along well drained slopes and partly shaded under trees are less vulnerable to attack from the beetle. The flea beetle is therefore much less likely to have the opportunity to attack plants which are grown on grounds covered with a thick mulch of leaves.
The damp leaves on the ground keep the caterpillars of the beetles away, these caterpillars feed on the ground and dislike moisture, the damp leaves discourage the caterpillars and this ensures that plants are free of the beetle.
Plants can generally be kept free of the beetle if a little naphthalene is scattered on the soil in which the plants are grown, the vapor from the compound will probably help repel the beetles.
Beetles can be caught in only one way; by spreading greased sheets of paper on the ground around the plants. Once the greased paper has been placed, slightly shaking each plant will disturbed a number of beetles and the insects will jump off like fleas and become trapped on the papers.
In the autumn months of the fourth year, all the plants are dug or ploughed up and all the roots are collected, carefully washed and then dried for processing and storage.
Once the plants have been uprooted, the crop must be replaced by planting young seedlings or offsets of the old roots. If an incidence of wireworm is observed, the entire plant must be dug up and a seedling can be planted on the spot as a replacement.
Belladonna possesses tropane alkaloids which inhibit the parasympathetic nervous system in the body. This part of the nervous system is the one that controls and regulates the involuntary actions in the human body.
The alkaloids can induce a reduction in the production of saliva; they induce a reduction in the gastric, intestinal, and bronchial secretions as well.
These alkaloids also affect the activity of the urinary tubules; they affect the action of the urinary bladder, and affect the functioning of the intestines. The tropane alkaloids in the body also increase the heart beat rate and bring about dilation in the pupils of the eye.
The presence of the compounds atropine and hyoscyamine are the main reasons for the medicinal properties possessed by the belladonna. Most of the principal remedies made from the belladonna are made using the root as the primary ingredient.
The alkaloid content of belladonna root can vary, this variation is between 0.4 and 0.6%, however, up to 1% of the volume of all fluids in the root can be only alkaloids - this consists of the compound hyoscyamine and its isomer atropine at about 0.1 to 0.6%; the compound belladonnine and at in some instances the compound atropamine, other compounds such as flavonoids and coumarins are also seen.
The root also contains substantial amounts of starch and atrosin - a red colored compound. The root also contains traces of the compound scopolamine-hyoscine; also present is a fluorescent principle almost chemically identical to the compound found in the bark of the horse chestnut herb - this fluorescent compound is widely distributed in the natural plant order Solanaceae.
The compound hyoscyamine forms the greater portion of the alkaloid matter found in the root and there is a possibility that most of the atropine found in the roots is produced via chemical conversion from the isomer during the extraction process.
The content of alkaloids present of wild or cultivated plants can differ to some extent, and this content may also depend on the methods of drying and storing used.
The alkaloid content in this herb is also dependent to some extent on the conditions in which the plants are grown, the type of soil, weather. The alkaloid content naturally differs from one plant to another.
The total proportion of alkaloids that can be found in the dried leaves can vary by 0.3 to 0.7% from the alkaloid content of green leaves. Out of the total alkaloid content found in the dried leaves, the greater proportion is made up of the compound hyoscyamine, while most of the atropine is produced during the extraction process as it occurs in the roots.
The other two alkaloids belladonnine and apoatropine may be formed during the process of extraction from the drug and these compounds may not be found in the plant in its natural state. Compounds such as starch, scopolamine and atrosin are also found in the leaves in trace amounts.
Under the directions given by the British Pharmacopoeia, there is a note stating that leaves used to make remedies must not contain less than 0.3% of the useful alkaloids and the roots should not have an alkaloid content which is lesser than 0.45% of the total volume.
Belladonna is also made into a standardized liquid extract; this extract is used in the preparation of the official plaster, in the preparations of the alcoholic extract, in preparing liniment used in treating topical disorders, in the preparation of suppositories, and also in the preparation of the tincture and the ointment.
The fresh leaves of the belladonna are used in the preparation of the green extract. Belladonna is utilized in the preparation of many kinds of remedies and traditional medications used in the treatment of many different disorders affecting various parts of the body.
When using the powdered leaves, the ideal dosage is 1 to 2 grains per dose per person. The ideal dosage regimen for one person is about 1 to 5 grains when he or she is prescribed the powdered root.
A dose of 1 to 3 drops of the fluid extracted from the leaves is ideal; while the fluid extract from the roots can be taken at doses of about one fourth to a drop per dose per person.
