BELLADONNA, DWALE, or DEADLY NIORTSIIADE (Atropa belladonna), a plant of the natural order solanarrm (q.v.); an herbaceous perennial, growing up every year as a bush, from two to six feet high, with ovate entire leaves, and bell-shaped flowers of a lurid purple color, which are fully larger than those of the common harebell, stalked and solitary in the arils of the leaves. It produces berries, of the size of a middle-sized cherry, and which, when ripe, are of a shining black color, and of a sweetish and not nauseous taste, although the whole plant has a disagreeable heavy smell. It is a native of the southern and middle parts of Europe, and is not uncommon in England, in the neighborhood of towns and of ruins. All parts of the plant are narcotic and poisonous, and fatal consequences not unfrequently follow from the eating of its berries. which have an inviting appearance. Its roots have sometimes been mistaken for parsnips. Dryness of the mouth and throat, dilatation of the eyes, obscurity of vision, paralytic tremblim, loss of sensation, delirium, and stupor, are among the effects of poisoning by belladonna. 1Vhen death takes place from this cause, corruption ensues with extra ordinary rapidity. B. is, however. of great value in medicine, soothing irritation and pain, particularly in nervous maladies, and is adniinistered both internally and exter nally in the form of extract, tincture, ointment, and plaster, which are generally prepared from the dried leaves, sometimes from the root. It is particularly useful, from its power of dilating the pupil of the eye, and is constantly employed by oculists. both
for examinations and operations. It is also applied to the eye to diminish the sensibility of the retina to light. It has recently been recommended as a preventive of scarlet fever, apparently on the ground of its. tendency, when administered in frequent small doses, to produce an eruption and an „affection of the throat, somewhat similar to these characteristic of that disease; but the evidence of its utility for this purpose is not suf ficient to warrant contidenee.—The name B., i.e., fair lady, is supposed to have origi nated in the employment of the juice for staining the skin. The name dwale is apparently from the same root with the French dena, grief—in allusion to the same pull it ies which have obtained for the plant the a ppel lat ion of deadly nightshade. Atropa i from Atropos, one of the fates.—The other species of Atropa are South American.
B. owes its active properties on the animal system to the presence of the alkaloid .1N-opine. accompanied by another alkaloid, belladon nine. The alkaloid atropine is prei ent in all parts of the plant, and in all the preparations. It is generally procured from the root of 11., and then forms needle-shaped crystals, which are sparingly soluble in water, hilt readily dissolve in alcohol and ether. Atropine is 0 very active poison, and its effects on the animal system resemble in an intensified degree the manner in which 11. acts. It has been introduced into medicine, along with its nitrate, its sulphate,. and its hydrochlorate.