_Stramonium_, _Thornapple_; F. _Herbe de Stramoine_; G.
_Stechapfelblätter_.
=Botanical Origin=—_Datura[1682] Stramonium_ L., a large,
quick-growing, upright annual, with white flowers like a convolvulus,
and ovoid spiny fruits. It is now found as a weed of cultivation in
almost all the temperate and warmer regions of the globe. In the south
of England it is often met with in rich waste ground, chiefly near
gardens or habitations.
=History=—The question of the native country and early distribution of
_D. Stramonium_ has been much discussed by botanical writers. Alphonse
De Candolle,[1683] who has ably reviewed the arguments advanced in
favour of the plant being a native respectively of Europe and America
or Asia, enounces his opinion thus:—that _D. Stramonium_ L. appears to
be indigenous to the Old World, probably the borders of the Caspian
Sea or adjacent regions, but certainly not of India; that it is very
doubtful if it existed in Europe in the time of the ancient Roman
Empire, but that it appears to have spread itself between that period
and the discovery of America.
Stramonium was cultivated in London towards the close of the 16th
century by Gerarde, who received the seed from Constantinople and
freely propagated the plant, of the medicinal value of which he had a
high opinion. The use of the herb in more recent times is due to the
experiments of Störck.[1684]
[1680] _Werthbestimmung stark wirkender Droguen_, Petersburg, 1876. 28.
[1681] The fresh juice kept for a few days has been known to evolve
_red vapours_ (nitrous acid?) when the vessel containing it was
opened.—H. S. Evans in _Pharm. Journ._ ix. (1850) 260.
[1682] _Datura_ from the Sanskrit name _D’hustùra_, applied to _D.
fastuosa_ L. The origin of the word _Stramonium_ is not known to us.
[1683] _Géographie Botanique_, ii (1855) 731.
[1684] Libellus quo demonstratur _Stramonium_, Hyoscyamum, Aconitum ...
esse remedia, Vindob. 1762.
=Description=—Stramonium produces a stout, upright, herbaceous green
stem, which at a short distance from the ground, throws out spreading
forked branches, in the axil of each fork of which arises a solitary
white flower, succeeded by an erect, spiny, ovoid capsule. At each
furcation and directed outwards is a large leaf. This arrangement of
parts is repeated, and as the plant grows vigorously, it often becomes
much branched and acquires in the course of the summer a considerable
size.
The leaves of stramonium have long petioles, are unequal at the base,
oval, acuminate, sinuate-dentate with large irregular pointed teeth
or lobes, downy when young, glabrous at maturity. When fresh they are
somewhat firm and juicy, emitting when handled a disagreeable fœtid
smell. The larger leaves of plants of moderate growth attain a length
of 6 to 8 or more inches.
For medicinal purposes, the entire plants are pulled up, the leaves and
younger shoots are stripped off, quickly dried, and then broken and cut
into short lengths, so as to be conveniently smoked in a pipe, that
being the method in which the drug is chiefly consumed in England. The
offensive smell of the fresh plant is lost by drying, being replaced
by a rather agreeable tea-like odour. The dried herb has a bitterish
saline taste.
=Chemical Composition=—The leaves of stramonium contain, in common with
the seeds, the alkaloid _Daturine_ (see p. 461), but in extremely small
proportion, not exceeding in fact ²/₁₀ to ³/₁₀ per mille. They are rich
in saline and earthy constituents; selected leaves dried at 100° C.
yielded us 17·4 per cent. of ash.
=Uses=—Scarcely employed in any other way than in smoking like tobacco
for the relief of asthma.—Col. Grant (1871) found the herb to be smoked
in pipes by the Nubians for chest-complaint.
=Substitute=—_Datura Tatula_ L.—This plant is closely allied to _D.
Stramonium_ L., propagating itself on rich cultivated ground with
nearly the same facility; but it is not so generally diffused.
De Candolle is of opinion that it is indigenous to the warmer parts of
America, whence it was imported into Europe in the 16th century, and
naturalized first in Italy, and then in South-Western Europe. By many
botanists it has been united to _D. Stramonium_, but Naudin,[1685]
who has studied both plants with the greatest attention, especially
with reference to their hybrids, is decidedly in favour of considering
them distinct. _D. Tatula_ differs from _D. Stramonium_ in having
stem, petiole, and nerves of leaves _purplish_ instead of _green_; and
corolla and anthers of a _violet_ colour instead of _white_,—characters
which, it must be admitted, are of very small botanical value.
_D. Tatula_ has been recommended for smoking in cases of asthma, on
the ground of its being _stronger_ than _D. Stramonium_; but we are
not aware of any authority as to the comparative strength of the two
species.
[1685] _Comptes Rendus_, lv. (1862) 321.