DEADLY NIGHT-SHAD: A genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the pentandria-class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 25th order, Luridae. The corolla is campanulated; the stamens are distant; the berry is globular, and consists of two cells. The species are five; of which 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 germ turns to a large round berry a little flattened at the top. It is first green; but when ripe, turns to a shining black. black, fits 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 shrubby 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 footstalks, 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 footstalks; 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. 3. The mandragora, or mandrake, which has been distinguished into the male and female. The male mandrake has a very large, long, and thick root; it is largest at the top or head, and from thence gradually grows smaller. Sometimes it is single and undivided to the bottom; but more frequently it is divided into two or more parts. When only parted into two, it is pretended that it resembles the body and thighs of a man. From this root there arise a number of very long leaves, broadest in the middle, narrow towards the base, and obtusely pointed at the end; they are of a foot or more in length, and five inches or thereabouts in breadth; they are of a dusky and disagreeable green colour, and of a very fetid smell. The female mandrake perfectly resembles the other in its manner of growth; but the leaves are longer and narrower, and of a darker colour, as are also the seeds and roots. It grows naturally in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Levant.

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.

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 mellow 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 who have are totally 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. When an accident of this kind is discovered in time, a glass of warm vinegar will prevent the bad effects.

The third species has been recommended in cases of barrenness, but without foundation. Its fresh root is a violent purge, the dose being from ten grains to twenty in substance, and from half a dram to a dram in infusion. It has been found to do service in hysterical complaints; but must be used with great caution, otherwise it will bring on convulsions, and many other mischievous symptoms. It has also a narcotic quality. At present only the fresh leaves are sometimes used in antiseptic and emollient cataplasms and fomentations. It used to be an ingredient in one of the old officinal unguents; but both that and the plant itself are now rejected from our pharmacopoeias. It still however retains a place in the foreign ones, and may perhaps be considered as deserving farther attention.

Naturalists tell strange stories of this plant; but setting aside its soporific virtue, the modern botanists will scarce warrant any of them, nor even that human figure ordinarily ascribed to its roots, especially since the discovery of the artifice of charlatans in fashioning it, to surprize the credulity of the people. The figure given in Plate XCI. however, was taken from a genuine root.

Moses informs us (Gen. xxx. 14.) that Reuben, the son of Leah, being in the field, happened to find mandrakes, which he brought home to his mother. Rachel had a mind to them, and obtained them from Leah, upon condition that she should consent that Jacob should be Leah's bedfellow the night following. The term אַדְנָא, adanaim, here made use of by Moses, is one of those words of which the Jews at this day do not understand the true signification. Some translate it violets, others lilies, or jasmine. Junius calls it agreeable flowers; Codrusius makes it truffle, or myrtlebroom; and Calmet will have it to be the citron. Those that would support the translation of mandrakes plead, that Rachel being barren, and having a great desire to conceive, coveted Leah's mandrakes, it may be presumed, with a view to its prolific virtues. The ancients have given to mandrakes the name of the apples of love, and to Venus the name of Mandragoritis; and the emperor Julian, in his epistle to Caesarea, says, that he drinks the juice of mandrakes to excite amorous inclinations.