deadly night-shade; a genus of the monogyne order, belonging to the pentandra class of plants.

Species. Of this genus there are five species enumerated by the botanists; the three following are the most remarkable. 1. The belladonna grows wild in many parts of Britain. It hath a perennial root, which sends out strong herbaceous stalks of a purplish colour, which rise to the height of four or five feet, garnished with entire oblong leaves, which towards autumn change to a purplish colour. The flowers are large, and come out singly between the leaves, upon long foot-stalks; bell shaped, and of a dullish colour on the outside, but purplish within. After the flower is past, the germen turns to a large round berry a little flatted at the top. It is first green; but, when ripe, turns to a shining black, sits close upon the empalement; and contains a purple juice of a nauseous sweet taste, and full of small kidney-shaped seeds. 2. The frutescens is a native of Spain, and rises with a thrubby stem to the height of six or eight feet; dividing into many branches garnished with round leaves, in shape like those of the florax tree; these are placed alternately on the branches. The flowers come out between the leaves on short foot-stalks, shaped like those of the former, but much less; of a dirty yellowish colour, with a few brown stripes; but these are never succeeded by berries in Britain. 3. The herbacea, with an herbaceous stalk, is a native of Campeachy. This hath a perennial root, which puts forth several channelled herbaceous stalks rising about two feet; and towards the top they divide into two or three small branches garnished with oval leaves four inches long and three broad, having several prominent transverse ribs on their under side. The flowers come out from between the leaves on short foot-stalks; they are white, and shaped like those of the common fort, but smaller. It flowers in July and August, but seldom ripens its fruit in Britain.

Culture. The first species, which is remarkable for its poisonous qualities, is very seldom admitted in gardens, nor should it ever be cultivated or allowed to grow in those places to which children have access. The other kinds are propagated by seeds, and placed in a stove, as is requisite for the more tender plants.

Poisonous Qualities, &c. The first species, as we have already observed, is a strong poison. Mr Ray gives a good account of the symptoms that follow the taking of it inwardly, by what happened to a mendicant friar upon his drinking a glass of mallow wine in which the herb was infused. In a short time he became delirious, and soon after was seized with a grinning laughter; then with several irregular motions, and at last with a real madness, and such a stupidity as those have who are festively drunk; but after all, he was cured by a draught of vinegar. Buchanan also gives an account of the destruction of the army of Sweno the Dane, when he invaded Scotland, by mixing a quantity of the belladonna berries with the drink which the Scots were, according to a treaty of truce, to supply them with. This so intoxicated the Danes, that the Scots fell upon them in their sleep, and killed the greatest part of them, so that there were scarcely men enough left to carry off their king. There have also been many instances in Britain of children being killed by eating berries of a fine black colour, and about the size of a small cherry, which are no other than those of belladonna. Notwithstanding this violent quality, however, some have prescribed it as a cure for cancers; but whatever may be pretended from some instances, it seems very unlikely that this terrible disease should be cured, or even alleviated in the least, by any such means.