Belladonna,
Hyoscyamus
and Stramonium
Pharmaceutical drugs or Homeopathic Remedies
The effect of these plants in treating Mental illnesses
A comparative study
By
Samira Zaidan
(Ph.D, MHMA)
Homeopathy is an internationally-recognized and
well established branch of Alternative Medicine.
Unfortunately, its concept of dealing with disease is
not clear in Saudi Medical and Pharmaceutical
Societies. Via comparing the use of three wellknown poisonous plants in homeopathy and
pharmacology, I aim to shed light on the principle
of “Similia Similibus Curentur”, which is the core
of Homeopathy, and to demonstrate how
homeopathy can help treat mental illnesses using
these plants.
Key words:
Homeopathic remedies;
Mental illnesses;
Pharmaceutical drugs;
Belladonna;
Hyoscyamus;
Stramonium; Similia Similibus Curentur
Belladonna:
Devil's Cherries.
Divale.
Black Cherry.
Devil's Herb..
Deadly Nightshade.
Belladonna: a name was bestowed
on it because its juice was used by
the Italian ladies to give their eyes
greater brilliancy, the smallest
quantity having the effect of dilating
the pupils of the eye.
The Belladonna plant grows mostly in
waste places, quarries and near old
ruins.
The fresh plant, when crushed, exhales a
disagreeable odour. Leaves have a bitter
taste.
The berries are full of a dark, inky juice,
and are intensely sweet.
Every part of the plant is extremely
poisonous. The root is the most poisonous.
Leaves and flowers less so. The berries,
except to children, least of all.
A peculiar symptom in those poisoned by
Belladonna is: the complete loss of voice,
together with frequent bending forward of the
trunk and continual movements of the hands
and fingers, the pupils of the eye becoming
much dilated. Restlessness and mental
excitement, irritability.
(Hyoscyamus niger);
Henbane;
Stinking nightshade;
Black henbane.
It is called 'Henbane,' because the seeds
were thought to be fatal to poultry.
Hyoscyamus is a powerful narcotic, and
is dangerously poisonous.
When bruised, Henbane leaves have a
nauseously rank, narcotic smell, and an
acrid, disagreeable taste.
Henbane: grows in waste grounds and
commons.
Henbane: Roots
It is recorded that the whole of the inmates
of a monastery were once poisoned by
using the roots instead of chicory. The
monks partaking of the roots for supper
were all more or less affected during the
night and following day, being attacked
with a sort of delirious frenzy,
accompanied in many cases by such
hallucinations that the establishment
resembled a lunatic asylum.
A woman pulled up a quantity of Henbane
roots which she found in a field, supposing
them to be parsnips. She boiled them in
soup, which was eaten by the family. The
whole of the nine persons who had
partaken of them suffered severely, being
soon seized with disturbed vision,
giddiness and sleepiness, followed by
delirium and convulsions.
Datura stramonium;
Devil's trumpet;
Devil's weed;
Thorn apple;
Stinkweed;
Devil's cucumber;
Hell's bells,
Moonflower;
Mad seeds.
It is found in waste places, the roadsides
and other places, chiefly near gardens or
dwellings.
Where the plant grows abundantly, its
vicinity may be detected by the rank odour
which it diffuses.
Stramonium: Dimness of sight, dilation of the
pupil, twitching and delirium.
sometimes amounting to mania. It acts more
powerfully on the brain than Belladonna and to
produce greater delirium.
These three poisonous plants have got a
common factor which is:
The place (waste lands).
Strong unpleasant odour.
Names given to them are connected with
devils and disturbed minds, which, in itself
is a sign for the sphere of the therapeutic
power they offer.
Physically, Belladonna, Hyoscyamus and
Stramonium look different as plants. The general
therapeutic field looks almost the same. To a
homeopath they are different, each one of them has
got its own individuality. They are like triplets
mother only can identify them.
Pharmacololgy disintegrated the plants into
separate elements, active ingredients:
(Atropine, Hyoscyamine and Hyoscine.)
Pharmacology dealt with these active
ingredients (individually or collectively) as
spare parts to fix physical problems in the
body system such as irritable bowel
syndrome or for pupil long dilation before
eye surgeries etc.
Side effects of Atropine: “Blurred vision; constipation;
decreased sweating; difficulty sleeping; dizziness; drowsiness;
dry mouth, nose, or skin; headache; loss of appetite; loss of taste;
nausea; nervousness.
Severe side effects occur when using Atropine
Medicinal Products:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty
breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face,
lips, or tongue); abdominal bloating or swelling; agitation;
changes in heartbeat; confusion; continued or severe diarrhea;
delirium; difficulty focusing your eyes; difficulty urinating;
exaggerated sense of well-being; excitement;
fast/irregular heartbeat; fever; hallucinations; numbness
of the hands or feet; severely enlarged pupils; severe or
prolonged restlessness; speech disturbance; unusual
weakness; vomiting. (drugs.com, 18.5.2011)
Side effects of Hyoscyamine:
Dry mouth; flushing; nausea; vomiting.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives;
itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the
chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or
tongue); blurred vision; difficulty urinating;
dizziness; fast or irregular heartbeat.
(drugs.com, 18.5.2011)
Side effects of Scopolamine:
Blurred vision; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth;
flushing.
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching;
difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling
of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); confusion;
difficulty urinating; fast or irregular heartbeat;
hallucinations; mood or mental changes;
severe drowsiness; severe dry mouth; trouble
speaking. (drugs.com, 18.5.2011)
Side effects here are connected with the individual
active ingredient in the plant. So, we can say that
each group of symptoms makes an individual picture
for an individual active ingredient.
In general the pharmaceutical drugs are tested on
animals. So the concentration is on the objective
symptoms.
Pharmaceutical drugs are prescribed to all patients who have
got a labelled disease; Any patient who has a disease labelled
as “Chrohn Disease” will be given one of the atropine or
hyoscine medicinal products, in a certain dose, to be taken at
specific time of the day. Patients are warned of exceeding the
dose, otherwise undesired, dangerous side effects will occur.
So the pharmaceutical drug is generic.
In Homeopathy, the whole plant is used. Mother tincture is
made in 50/50 proportion of Juice of the plant and alcohol.
Then the operation of potentisation :dilution and succussion
will start to make different potencies (dosages), for different
group of symptoms. Soluble substance, such as plants, are then
diluted in a proportion of 1:99 of alcohol. Insoluble substances
such as minerals and animal extracts are triturated with lactose
sugar, in the same proportion. Until 6c potency has been
reached then the dilution and succussion operation will occur,
as with the plant. Dilution will guarantee the safety of the
remedy, succussion will increase the therapeutic power of the
remedy (the vibration).
These remedies will be tested using different potencies, on
human-beings. The side effects of the poisons of these plants on
healthy people will form the total picture of the poison. This
picture will be used as a template to measure the presented
symptoms of an ill person. If there is a similarity between the
picture of the poison and the picture of the disease on a sick
person, then this remedy will be the most suitable to him/her.
If the case is physical, then a low potency will be suitable, if the
symptoms are mental, then high potencies will be more
suitable. If the energy of the patient is low then low potency
repeated is better. If patient’s energy is high, then a high, single
potency will be better. So the remedy and the potency are
tailored to the patient.
Figure 1: The potentisation process
Homeopathy looks seriously at these mental
symptoms which the whole plant produces on
individuals. Following the principle Similia
Similibus Curentur, ( Law of Similars)Homeopathic
Pharmacy produced remedies with different
potencies (dosages) to treat Mental illnesses.
These tests on healthy people are called provings.
Provers register every symptom they have during
the time of the test, whether they are objective or
subjective. The prover uses his own language.
These notes will be collected from all provers ,
categorized according to the body organs,
registered in Materia Medicas, then finished with
the repertories, which will identify all tested
remedies and their effect on each organ on the
body system.
Belladonna: example of mental symptoms:“Wild; striking,
biting, tearing things. He is in a state of excitability.” “Mental
states take the form of acute mania, when the patient will bite
the spoon, will bark like a dog, will do all sorts of violent
things,” “Mania with desire to bite, strike and run away.” “head
was hot, face red.” “Twitching of facial muscles.”“Skin dry and
hot like fire.” “Violence of attack and Suddenness of onset.”
irritability and restlessness.
Hyoscyamus: examples of mental symptoms: “Pupils are
dilated and insensible.” “ Staring look. With a fixed look he
stares at those about him.” “Silly, smiling, laugh at
everything, silly expression.” “Very talkative, and persists in
stripping herself: or uncovering genitals. She/ he jealous,
afraid of being poisoned, “ “Does not know her relatives.”
“Alternations of calmness and fury.”
Datura Stramonium: example of mental symptoms:
“Pupils immensely dilated.” “Hydrophobia... Horror of
water and every other liquid.” “Religious mania; pious looks,
praying “Converse in different languages.” “Woke suddenly in
night and said there were snakes under and about her; looked
wild, screamed and pointed to them.” “Talks incessantly
foolish things with nobody can understand.” Fear of dark.
Homeopathic remedies can not be tested chemically .
Special devices are needed to prove that there are
differences between different potencies and different
remedies.
If the law of Homeopathy is
“The Law of Similars”
what is the law of pharmacology to
produce a pharmaceutical drug?
Remedies in Pictures
These people in the previous pictures are mentally ill.
Belladonna, Hyoscyamus and Stramonium, can help them,
gently, naturally and successfully, without undesired side
effects. Our aim is to help these people and I believe that it’s a
great time for Pharmacology and Homeopathy to collaborate,
for well-rounded patient care in Saudi Arabia.
Before I finish I would like to mention this Hadeeth, in
Muslim:
:‫ورد عن رسول هللا صلى هللا عليه وسلم أن قال‬
‫”لكل داء دواء فإذا أصيب دواء الداء برء بإذن هللا عز‬
.‫“ ومصدر دواء دو ي أي اهتزاز‬.‫وجل‬
Thank you