The Mighty Magic of Belladonna.

The Mighty Magic of Belladonna.

Atropa belladonna, the belladonna, is a plant popularly little used today because of its high toxicity. Its used is reserved for the pharmaceutical industry and they are considered a very dangerous poison or drug, but in other times it was a very used plant and have a great magical tradition.

Belladonna is a plant that grows in rain forests of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In northern Spain, you can also find this plant. It can measure up to 1 m approx height. It has some beautiful and colorful purple bell-shaped flowers and some berries that look like berries but they smell very bad. It is also known as black cherry, death herb, wall tobacco, devil cherry or witch berry.

Belladonna contains high amounts of tropic alkaloids, especially in its fruits and roots. Alkaloids, as we have explained on other occasions, are chemical compounds (nitrogenated) derived from vegetables (and some animals), which have different properties on our organism, especially on the central nervous system, so they are widely used in pharmacopeia. Some well-known alkaloids are cocaine, nicotine, amphetamine, morphine, codeine, heroin, atropine.

Belladonna alkaloids (including atropine) are very toxic and dangerous, as 10-15 berries of this plant can produce an immediate coma and kill an adult man within minutes.

Belladonna has hypnotic and anesthetic effects, decreases the secretion of mucous membranes, and can paralyze the digestive system, the respiratory system and produce strong hallucinations. Its toxicity causes dry mouth, nose and eyes, uncontrollable laughter, vomiting, paralysis, hypertension and migraine. It also eliminates sweating and lactation. The pharmaceutical industry uses some of its properties, for example for ophthalmology, the production of eye drops that dilate the pupil, or some drugs that relieve gastric problems, to treat Parkinson's or as a local analgesic.

During ancient Egypt, small doses of belladonna were consumed since it was believed that it had the power to allow you to see mysterious worlds. It has also been used as a narcotic until the Middle Ages. It is believed that hits popular "belladonna" name may be due to the fact that during the Roman Empire, women applied small amounts of its berry under the eyes, so that the pupils dilate and look more beautiful.

Another theory that may respond to the origin of the name explains that the Roman priests who worshiped Belona, who was the goddess of war, drank an infusion of this plant to invoke the goddess to help them succeed in the battles of their army.

Nowadays as we said, because of its great toxicity, it is not used in any format in phytotherapy or naturopathy, but until the 19th century, it was commonly used in witchcraft rituals to connect with spirits, relieve a toothache and travel to other worlds. It is believed that one of the ways in which witches consumed the belladonna was to anoint sticks with fruits of this plant and with others hallucinogens (like the mandrake), and put this stick between the legs, hence the myth that witches could "fly" mounted on broomsticks. Although in some cases, the flight and trip were only one way.

This shrub is of low tolerance to direct exposure to the sun. It usually grows on shady grounds and wooded and coal hills, can reach one and a half meters in height. Its active principles are mainly concentrated in the root of the fruit, which is a berry spherical and blackish, about the size of a cherry.

The belladonna is classified as one of the healing plants with more properties, it has been used for centuries for very diverse affections in which they emphasize the following ones:

Properties and applications of Belladonna in health

• It has active ingredients such as atropine, belladonna, choline, esculetin, hyoscyamine, nicotine, scopolamine, scopoletin and tannins.

• It has depressant action on the autonomic parasympathetic system, with decoagulant effects of the smooth muscle, and inhibitory secretions.

• It has been used successfully to treat neuralgias, asthma, nervous cough, seizures, epilepsy, some eye diseases and spasmodic constrictions, as well as headaches, irritable colon, symptoms of menstruation, peptic ulcers, inflammation and dizziness.

• It has diuretic, sedative, mild analgesic and antidote properties against fungal intoxication (on all those containing muscarinic alkaloids such as 'Amanita Muscaria').

• Contains active agents with anticholinergic properties, such as alkaloids derived from tropane atropine, hisocin (scopolamine) and hisosciamine.

• It has been used by some women of antiquity to dilate their pupils, thus obtaining a more erotic look (it is known that when a woman is sexually excited her pupils usually dilate).

• Its active ingredient, atropine has been used in conjunction with levadopa to treat Parkinson's disease.

Modes of use of the Belladonna

• In herbal medicine they usually prepare the facials with berries and root to treat various conditions.
• In modern medicine it is applied locally as a solution during ophthalmic interventions (the hood is a great help when eye surgery is required). Its effects begin between 15 and 30 minutes.
• It can also be administered in tablets, capsules, homeopathy or drops of oral administration.

Belladonna and homeopathy

Belladonna is used with great effectiveness in homeopathy to treat various conditions, it is used in homeopathic preparations, in combination with other agents, such as alkaloids derived from ergot or barbiturates.

Some history about Belladonna

This plant was conceived with magical properties in the Middle Ages, since it was used in secret practices of sorcery by witches of this time. It has been the object of many ancient legends and beliefs. Used as a narcotic by the ancient Egyptians, and by the Syrians as antidepressant or stimulant, to "keep away the sad thoughts." Its name refers to the domestic use of the ancient Italian ladies who have a belladonna fruit under their eyes to make them look beautiful.

Contraindications of the Belladonna

It is a plant classified as poisonous, can cause coma or death if it is poorly administered. The use of abuse of this plant can create a toxicity in the body that has the following effects: dry mouth (thirst), urinary retention, double vision, nausea, constipation, confusion and delirium, sweating increases pulse and respiratory rhythm, And the action of involuntary muscles decreases. Some of these effects sometimes occur with therapeutic doses. Belladonna does not cause physical or psychological addiction. Its suspension has no effect or supposes the occurrence of any withdrawal syndrome. It is recommended prudence for its use, the guidance of a professional is necessary for its therapeutic application.