The Witches’ kitchen: The entire Henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) is highly poisonous. It contains chemicals which strongly irritate the nerve centre, expand the eye pupils, and induce delirium, hallucinations and visions. In the end they cause death.
IN THE SUPERSTITIOUS MIDDLE AGES, the curative properties of henbane were suppressed by its ‘magic’ properties. Henbane became one of the chief compartments of the legendary magic healing ointments and love potions pocula amtoris. Witches, who it was thought existed in large numbers, spread the paste on their temples, under their armpits, and over the private parts of their bodies. The toxic paste made them fall into trances, in which they hallucinated. They thought they saw unbelievable events: they imaginated themselves flying through the air and they saw devils and made love Satan.
When the age of witchcraft and devils came to an end in the 17th century henbane was more or less forgotten and was scorned as a dangerous toxic plant.
Then in 1821, Frenchman Brendes discovered another chemical in henbane alkaloid hyosciamine. The plant is now a valuable raw material in the production of tranquilizing and sleep- inducing drugs, and in the treatment of nervous diseases and stomach ulcers.
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