henbane/hyoscine

Hyoscyamus, the henbane, is one of the drugs of the ancients. Initially used both as a poison and narcotic, it was widely adopted by witches, wizards and soothsayers as a component of their hallucinatory and flying ointments. It was also used by notorious poisoners such as Madame Voisin in France.

During 1984-1989, 19 Bedouin children, 4-8 years old, were hospitalized because of henbane plant (Hyoscyamus reticulatus) poisoning. There were 14 cases in the autumn, 3 in the spring and 2 in the summer. The most prominent signs were altered state of consciousness (including deep coma in 3) and

Among the available antidotes used against parathion poisoning, atropine and Buscopan are tolerated in relatively high doses by rats. Hyoscine (in very small doses), T. Bel. Alk. and T. Hyosc. Alk. (better results in small doses, also for dogs), P2AM (of superior antimuscarine action) are