Friday, June 5, 2015


Officially called atropa belladonnna, and also known as deadly nightshade, the plant is a perennial, though not as long lived as many perennials.The name belladonna comes from the Italian word denoting a beautiful woman, possibly related to a belladonna based tincture used in Venice to dilate their pupils, which was thought to make them more attractive.


Belladonna has an illustrious career as a poison, with references stretching back to when the Roman emperor Claudius was believed to have been poisoned with it, back in 68 AD. Additionally, it’s believe that the Scots once knocked off a Danish army by leaving them tribute of barrels of beer, laced with deadly nightshade.
Nightshade has also been thought to be one of the main ingredients of witch’s flying potions, along with, monkshood and other toxic plants. A belladonna trip isn’t always fatal, and it’s believed that in the past people had a stronger tolerance to the plant, allowing them to explore its psychoactive uses. Legends attribute the results of the Gaelic herb of courage to belladonna, which caused their warriors to totally let go in battle.
Today belladonna is used in the pharmaceutical industry, as it has been for ages by cunning women throughout Europe for everything from muscle relaxers, pain relievers, menstrual problems and stomach ailments.

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