Solanaceae – Solanaceae.
Popular names: water drunk, mad potion, stupid grass, crazy grass.
Parts Used: Leaves and seeds.
Pharmacy name: Datura leaves – Stramonii folium (formerly: Folia Stramonii), Datura seeds – Stramonii semen (formerly: Semen Stramonii).
Botanical description. This annual, extremely fast-growing plant reaches over 1 m in height in good soil. It has a tap root and a forked stem. In places of branching, single flowers sit on pedicels. A large funnel-shaped white corolla is formed by 5 fused pointed petals. Calyx five-toothed, slightly swollen at base. Large prickly fruits of spherical or ovoid form. They open with four valves and contain small black seeds. Blooms from June to October; flowers bloom in the evening and quickly fade. Datura is native to Mexico and eastern North America. Grows in landfills and wastelands, along roadsides, in gardens and fields. Datura is very poisonous, and non-specialists should not use it.
Active ingredients: hyoscyamine, atropine, some scopolamine and other related alkaloids.
Healing action and application. With the exception of smoking powder and anti-asthma cigarettes, Datura leaves are used only in a “processed” form – as a tincture and extract. A tincture is also prepared from the seeds, which is an integral part of anti-asthma drops. In no case should you treat yourself with dope, since all its parts are very poisonous! Although its action is similar to belladonna, the use of Datura is much narrower – mainly against asthma and spasmodic cough.
Use in homeopathy. Homeopathy uses its tincture of Datura, prepared from the fresh flowers of plants picked at the beginning of flowering, in extreme states of nervous excitement, diluted from D6 (sometimes from D 1 ), also for whooping cough, asthma, and all kinds of neuralgias.
Application in folk medicine. Datura came to Germany, according to reliable information, for the first time at the end of the 16th century from the south of Russia. The Viennese court physician A. von Stork (1731-1808) introduced him to medical practice. In those days, people brewed a drink from dope, made ointments and “magic potions”, but now all this is in the past. Later, folk medicine used dope drugs only against asthma and whooping cough.
Side effects. All parts of Datura are poisonous due to the high content of alkaloids. The danger of being poisoned by mistake is small, since this plant does not particularly attract anything – it has neither berries nor sweet roots that could seduce. Poisoning is manifested by sore throat, agitation, the appearance of paralysis. First aid measures should follow immediately.