- Botanical Name(s): Atropa belladonna
- Popular Name(s): Black Cherry, Deadly Nightshade, Poison Black Cherry
- Parts Used: Leaves, tops and berries
- Habitat: Belladonna is native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia.
Description: Belladonna is a perennial plant with erect, leafy stem that splits into three branches and attains a height up to 5 feet. Its ovate leaves grow in pairs with uneven sizes and possess dull green colour. The flowers are solitary, bell-shaped and dull brown to dark purple in colour which yield black, shiny berries measuring approximately 1 cm in diameter.
Deadly nightshade is native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. Herba bella dona, or "herb of the beautiful lady" is known for its poisonous effects (belladonna increases heartbeat and can lead to death), like many other plants it is an important and beneficial remedy when used correctly. Belladonna contains atropine used in conventional medicine to dilate the pupils for eye examinations and as an anesthetic. In herbal medicine, deadly nightshade is mainly prescribed to relieve intestinal colic, to treat peptic ulcers and to relax distended organs, especially the stomach and intestine. Deadly nightshade is also used as an anaesthetic in conventional medicine.
Uses: Belladonna possesses antispasmodic, calmative, diaphoretic and diuretic properties. When applied locally, it lessens irritability and pain and so it is used in neuralgia, gout, rheumatism and sciaticaFolklore - Belladonna was believed to help witches to fly. Its other name "belladonna" (beautiful woman) is thought to refer to its use by Italian women to dilate the pupils of their eyes.
Belladonna is prescribed to relax distended organs, especially the stomach and intestines, relieving intestinal colic and pain. It helps peptic ulcers, and it relaxes spasms of the urinary tubules. Parkinson's disease - Belladonna can be used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease's, reducing tremors and rigidity, and improving speech and mobility.
The smooth muscle relaxant properties of belladonna make it useful in conventional medicine as an anesthetic, particularly when digestive or bronchial secretions need to be kept to a minimum. The therapeutic dose of belladonna is very close to the toxic amount. Excessive dosage can result in respiratory paralysis, coma, and death. It can be used also forHomeopathy, Tension headache.
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