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Famous Like Me > Actress > B > Belladonna

Profile of Belladonna on Famous Like Me

 
Name: Belladonna  
   
Also Know As:
   
Date of Birth: 21st May 1981
   
Place of Birth: Biloxi, Mississippi, USA
   
Profession: Actress
 
 
From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia


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Atropa belladonna
Atropa belladonna
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Atropa
Species: A. belladonna
Binomial name
Atropa belladonna
L.

Deadly nightshade or belladonna (Atropa belladonna) is a well-known, hardy perennial shrub, a member of the nightshade family.

It is native to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia, and has become naturalized in parts of North America. The plant is not as common in the wild as many field guides may suggest, as it is readily attacked by mint flea beetles and has a very low tolerance for sunlight. In areas where it has become naturalized it can often be found in shady, moist areas with a limestone rich soil.

Toxicity

Berries of the belladonna.

True to its name, it is one of the most toxic plants to be found in the Western hemisphere. Children have been poisoned by as few as three of the berries, and a small leaf thoroughly chewed can be a fatal dose for an adult. The root is often the most toxic part, though this can vary from one specimen to another.

All parts of the plant, especially the berries, contain the extremely toxic alkaloid atropine. The approximate lethal dose for an adult is three berries, although fewer can be fatal. Symptoms of belladonna poisoning are the same as those for atropine, and include dilated pupils, tachycardia, hallucinations, blurred vision, loss of balance, a feeling of flight, staggering, a sense of suffocation, paleness followed by a red rash, flushing, husky voice, extremely dry throat, constipation, urinary retention, and confusion. The skin can completely dry out and slough off. Fatal cases have a rapid pulse that turns feeble. The antidote is physostigmine or pilocarpine, the same as for atropine.

The plant is also toxic to animals; for instance, poisoning can lead to colic, depression, weakness, and lack of coordination in horses, with fatalities reported even for small amounts from 1 to 10 pounds (0.5 to 5 kg).

Uses

Cosmetics

The name belladonna originates from the historic use by ladies (Bella Donna is Italian for beautiful lady) to dilate their pupils; an extract of belladonna was used as eye drops as part of their makeup preparations. The atropine content of the fluid had the effect of dilating the pupil, thus making their eyes supposedly more attractive. Dilated pupils are considered more attractive (especially with females) because pupils normally dilate when a person is aroused, thus making eye contact much more intense than it already is. It had the adverse effect of making their vision a little blurry and making their heart rates increase.

Witchcraft

According to practitioners of witchcraft, nightshade is ruled by Hecate and can turn into an old hag on Walpurgis Night, or April 30. It is also used in flying ointments. Of the twelve recipes for flying ointments, six call for deadly nightshade.

According to legend, this is the favorite plant of the devil, and only be harmed when he is diverted from its care on the Walpurgis.

Modern medicine

The plant is the most important source of atropine, ironically an effective cure for the effects of poisoning by potent cholinesterase inhibitors such as Parathion, Malathion and, most infamously, Sarin, VX, and similar nerve agents. In Europe, it is specifically cultivated for that reason.

Optometrists and ophthalmologists use belladonna to this day for pupil dilation in eye examinations, though the dose is extremely small.

Recreational drug

Occasionally, the plant is used for recreational purposes: it is consumed in the form of either a tea or simply raw, which can produce vivid hallucinations, described by many as a 'living dream'. The effects of even a slight poisoning are so unpleasant that the recreational user is unlikely to attempt its use again, if he or she survives at all.

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Belladonna