(seq. 353)

344

Materia Medica

Stimulants

is a native and valuable article and deserving the attention of
Physicians, it sometimes produces the usual effect of opium when
that medicine fails, it is not a native of North America, though
it grows plentifully in the United States, it is a powerfull stimulant
and narcotic. A person having swallowed two Ʒ [drams] of the bruised
seed was affected with a violent colic which was cured by an
emetic. Several lasy Monks having boiled the root, eat it by
mistake were poisoned they were however cured, in one of them the
eyes were considerably inflamed, and nearly the same effects were
produced, in another person which was produced by vinigar. I
have myself been effected with henbane while at Edinburgh and
experimenting with the plant having left the vessel open in which it
was boiled, I went to sleep and the vapours excited a disagreeable
and alarming disease, from this short account it must be obvious
that our article is verry nearly ally’d to opium, there is however one
verry great difference between them. Opium generally produces
costiveness, whereas henbane purges, but this is not a constant effect
of the latter, it sometimes proves diuretic, it is a powerfull
stimulant always rendering the vessels of the brain turgid. Dr Sack
having try'd the extract upon himself and a dog, used it in almost