DEADLY NIGHTSHADE. See Botany Index.

Buchanan 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.

Naturalists tell strange stories of this plant: but setting aside its soporiferous 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 surprise the credulity of the people.

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 דָּדָאִים, dudaim, 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 jessamine. Junius calls it agreeable flowers; Codorus makes it truffle, or mushroom; 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.