Botanical Name -: Atropa belladonna
Family Name -: N.O. Solanaceae
Other Name -: Black Cherry. Devil's Herb
Description
Commonly known as deadly nightshade, this poisonous plant grows wild throughout Europe and many Asian countries. It can grow up to 5 ft tall with 18 cm long ovate leaves. It is a perennial herb, thick, creeping root, annual, erect, round, dichotomously branched, leafy, with slightly downy stems. The leaves are smooth of a dull-green color unequal size , borne on short petioles with bell shaped.. The flowers are imperfectly, solitary, large, drooping, dark, dull-purple and plaler in colors. The root is whitish , more branching with pernnial . Leaves have a bitter taste both fresh and dried. It is found in northern himalayan . Also obtained in the hilly region of india. Considerable qunatities of the roots could be grown in various suitable suitation in india. It contains a higher proportion of alkaloid atropine and hyoscyansine than the european varities . The plant contain tropane alkaloids.The leaves contain on average 0.4% active alkaloids, A number of specimens of the roots contained 0.81 p.c. of total alkaloids as compared with 0.45 percent laid dodwdn in the brirish pharmacopoeia and the leaves contained 0.50 percent as compared with 0.3 percent. It and alkaolid atropine are largely used in western medicines as sedative , antispasmodic, anodyne and mydriatic in diseases of th eye. It contains several alkaloids, including atropine, which relieves asthma, hyoscyiamine, which induces sleep and can cause paralysis, belladonine, which is a narcotic and painkiller, and scopolamine, another painkiller which reduces high blood pressure and produces twilight sleep. The berries are sweet and appeal to children which has resulted in poisonings.
Uses
Belladonna is a most precious plant in the action of eye diseases such as mydriasis, presbyopia, poor vision, absolute blindness, visual illusions, and suffused eyes, occasionally disturbance of hearing, itching, redness, swelling, and numbness of the face, confusion of head, giddiness, and delirium. As a medicine, it particularly affects the brain and the bladder. The whole plant is useful in ensure extreme secretions and to dispel inflammation and ensure the sweating of phthisis.The leaves are helpful in whooping cough in children. It is of importance in sharp sore throat, and relieves swelling and obstruction. Traditional herbalist is given this plant for, peptic ulcer disease, inflammation, and motion sickness, headache, menstrual symptoms,. The small consistent study is obtainable on the use of belladonna for ear infections. It is very beneficial for female related diseases such as menstrual probles, leucorrhea, uterus related disorders, etc. The narcotic action of belladona affects the central nervous system and can cause paralysis. This herb is useful in coma, headache , stress, depression, hysteria, weakness , memory and other nervous conditions. This herb is to treat intestinal colic and spasmodic asthma. The plant is useful in irregular heartbeat, liver and gallbladder problems, weak heart, heart disease. Small doses to allay cardiac palpitation were administered by applying a plaster to the region of the heart. The plaster of this plant is to treat intestinal and digestive spasms, excessive perspiration, and for bronchial asthma
It is more useful in homeopathy medicine
How to Use in Different Diseases
The extract of Belladonna is used as an external application to relieve pain and internally for checking excessive perspiration in consumption for the relief of cough and for many other purposes. The extract prepared from the leaves cause the pupil of the eye to dilate and is used for ophthalmic surgery. The lotion is useful in neuralgia, gout, rheumatism and sciatica. The powder is useful in fever and the powder is taken one to two teaspoonfuls twice a day with water at meal time
Dose and Preparations
Extract, lotion, powder
Extract- 5 to 10ml
Powder-3 to 6 gm
Lotion – Twice daily