💾 Archived View for webdragon.mywire.org › plants › Atropa-BellaDonna.gmi captured on 2022-07-16 at 13:43:07. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
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Other name: Devil's Cherries
Flower color: Purple - green
Cherry color: First green, then red, then shiny black
Flowering: Summer
Height: 100 - 150 cm
Active ingredients: Atropine, Belladonine, Nicotine, Tannins
Used parts: Mostly the herb, but also the cherry.
The name of Atropa Bella-Donna is derived from Atropos, the Greek goddes of fate that tears the web of life in pieces, and Belladonna, which means something like 'beautiful lady'. That last one is probably because in earlier days, people used the sap to make their pupils wider to make them look more beautiful. The name 'Devil's Cherries' comes from the fact that it was said that the Devil himself also used this plant. The cherries were often used to create some state of hallucination for magical rituals. Sometimes this ended with death. This is because the Deadly nightshade is, as the name suggests, very poisonous. People believed that a antidote to the poison was the Amanita muscaria (Fly Amanita), which is also very poisonous because of the Muscarine that works on the heart. And if someone is poisoned by Amanita muscaria, the Atropa Bella-Donna can be used as antidote. Though not much is known about this yet.
Though this plant is very poisonous, it was also used as medicine. Mostly for external use. There were a few highly experienced herbalists that used it internal, but only in very specific doses. The therapeutic doses is very close to the poisonous doses. This is why there are nowadays actually almost no people more who use it.
During the middle ages one of the uses of the leaves was to grind it in wine vinegar and then lay it at someones head. This would make that person sleepy.
Devil's Cherries should NEVER be combined with Digitalis.
NEVER give this plant to children and/or elder people.
DON'T use Deadly Nightshade together with morphine.
DON'T use this plant together with Tannins and/or Alkaline substances.
Devil's Cherries are NOT combinable with antidepressants.
Atropa Bella-Donna is highly poisonous. Use of any part of this plant can result in death. The poison works in several steps, but in the end the death might follow.
For more information about the poison, see the Poisonous Plants page.
PLEASE NEVER USE NIGHTSHADE UNLESS A QUALIFIED DOCTOR SAYS OTHERWISE. EVEN THEN, ONLY USE IT EXTERNALLY!!!
KEEP THIS PLANT AWAY FROM CHILDREN!
