Datura stramonium                    Common name: Jimson weed, Devil’s apple
Family:  Solanaceae

Parts used: Leaves, flowering tops, seeds

Constituents: Tropane alkaloids (0.2%-0.45%):  scopolamine (hyoscine), atropine, hyoscyamine, mandragorine, and others.

Medicinal actions: Spasmolytic, antiasthmatic, anticholinergic, hallucinogenic

Medicinal use:  Datura is a highly toxic botanical is rarely used internally. Datura is has historical use as a hallucinogenic herb.

Pharmacy: Rarely used internally.

Toxicity: Anticholinergic. Acute: nausea, thirst, dilated pupils, vomiting, impaired vision, dry skin and mucous membranes, staggering, dizziness, incoherence, hallucinations, loss of conciousness, weak rapid pulse, inability to urinate, convulsions, delirium with laughter, loquacity and violence, circulatory collapse prior to death. Chronic: Datura can be detrimental to the heart because of the tropane alkaloids.  A tolerance is built up to the tropanes in the parasympathetic system, thus requiring more datura to achieve its effects.  However, the heart does not build up tolerance and therefore may be damaged.