Henbane
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| Image:Koeh-073.jpg Henbane
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| Hyoscyamus niger L. |
Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) is a plant of the family Solanaceae that originated in Eurasia, though it currently grows, at least to some extent, on all continents.
It was historically used in combination with other plants, such as Mandrake , Deadly Nightshade, and Datura as an anaesthetic potion, as well as for its psychoactive properties in magic brews. Its usage was originally in continental Europe and Asia, though it did spread to England sometime during the Middle Ages. It has also been suggested by several scholars that Henbane may have been used by the ancient Greeks.
Henbane is poisonous. Its name came from Anglo-Saxon hennbana = "killer of hens". Atropine, Scopolamine, and other tropane alkaloids have been found in the foliage and seeds of the plant. Common symptoms of henbane poisoning in humans include hallucinations, dilated pupils, restlesness, and flushed skin. Less common symptoms such as tachycardia, convulsions, vomiting, hypertension, hyperpyrexia and ataxia have all been noted. Despite this it is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Cabbage Moth.
It was traditionally used in German pilsner beers as a flavouring, until the Bavarian Purity Law was passed in 1516 and outlawed the use of Henbane and allowed only the use of hops.
Henbane or Hyoscyamus was also known to have been used as an anesthetic in the first Arab hospitals.
Henbane is the etymology of the Czech town Plzeň and pilsener beer.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- http://www.erowid.org/plants/henbane/henbane.shtml
- Hyoscyamus albus [1]
- Hyoscyamus niger [2]bg:Блян
cs:Blín černý da:Bulmeurt de:Bilsenkraut it:Hyoscyamus niger lt:Juodoji drignė nl:Bilzekruid pl:Lulek czarny ru:Белена sv:Bolmört
