Contractions. - Bell. Bel.

Atropa Belladonna. Nat. ord., Atropaceae.

Synonym. - Solanum maniacum.

Fig. - Flora Hom., pl. 9.

Deadly Nightshade, Common Dwale. For. names: German, Tollkirsche; French, Belladonne; Italian, Belladonna; Spanish, Belladona.

Habitat. - "Waste stony places in Southern Europe and West Central Asia. South of England, about old castles and ruins.

Flowering time. - Summer.

Parts employed. - The entire plant.

Characters. - An erect, glabrous, or slightly downy herb, with perennial root and brandling stem. Leaves stalked, rather large, ovate, and entire, with a smaller one usually proceeding from the same point. Flowers solitary, on short peduncles in the forks of the stem or axils of the leaves. Corolla bell-shaped, pale purplish-blue, nearly 1 inch long, with five broad short lobes. Fruit a black, shining, globular berry.

Time for collecting. - When in full flower.

Preparation. - Tincture, corresponding in alcoholic strength with dilute spirit.

Reference to Hom. Proving. - R. A. M. L., i.

Proper forms for dispensing. - φ to 1, Tincture only. 3x and upwards, Tincture, Pilules, or Globules.

Average loss of moisture, 88 per cent.; in making the lx attenuation, it will therefore be necessary to use about 1 1/2 measure of the mother tincture to 8 1/2 measures of dilute alcohol.