Posted on 02/13/2024 7:16:31 AM PST by Red Badger
Physiological reactions to a plant called black henbane were well documented throughout the Ancient Mediterranean world.
A bust of Emperor Trajan surrounded by black henbane seends and flowers and a femur discovered by archaeologists (edit Valentina Di Liscia/Hyperallergic)
Two new archaeological finds suggest Roman subjects at the northern edge of the ancient empire used a hallucinogenic and poisonous plant called black henbane, the effects of which were described by Greek philosopher Plutarch as “not so properly called drunkenness” but rather “alienation of mind or madness.” Dutch zooarchaeologists Maaike Groot and Martijn van Haasteren and archaeobotanist Laura I. Kooistra published their research on February 8 in the academic journal Antiquity.
The scholars made the discoveries at the Houten-Castellum archaeological site in the Netherlands, which was inhabited from the 6th century BCE through the 2nd century CE, when it was under Roman rule. The findings comprise a 90–110 CE basket or fish trap buried face-down with the plant and a polished and hollowed sheep or goat femur containing around 1,000 black henbane seeds, sealed with a birch-bark tar plug. The latter, considered by the scholars to be a container rather than a pipe, was uncovered in a 70–100 CE water pit alongside a partial cow skeleton, the skull of a dog, a wire brooch, and ceramics. The team thinks both finds are examples of “abandonment offerings,” part of a ritual to mark the end of a farmhouse’s occupation. The home would be demolished and part of its contents buried.
“What I particularly like about this find is the potential link between medicinal knowledge described by Roman authors in Roman Italy and people actually using the plant in a small village on the edge of the empire,” Goot told Hyperallergic, noting that although she cannot rule out its consumption before the Roman period, it is tempting to classify the drug as a Roman introduction.
The researchers decided the bone was a container rather than a pipe, in part because “there are a lot of seeds considering how potent the plant is supposed to be.” (photo courtesy Antiquity)
The white arrow points to the black henbane plant buried alongside an upside-down basket or fish traps and pots. (image courtesy University of Cambridge Press) Physiological reactions to black henbane were well documented throughout the Ancient Mediterranean world. Roman writer Pliny the Elder discussed the plant’s medicinal, hallucinatory, and potentially lethal effects, noting that although it could be taken to heal ailments ranging from coughs to fever, the drug could also cause insanity and derangement. The Greek and Roman physician Dioscoride wrote that black henbane and its close cousins could alleviate pain, but cause disorientation when boiled.
Still, physical discoveries of the drug’s purposeful consumption are relatively rare. Black henbane, native to northwestern Europe, is a “weed of cultivation,” a plant that thrives alongside crops. While it has previously been found at Roman settlements in the Netherlands, the hypothesis that it was consumed has historically been dismissed, since its seeds could have accidentally ended up in harvests.
Archaeologists have found a few other instances of black henbabe’s intentional use in Europe. Its seeds were discovered in a purse buried alongside a woman who died in Denmark around 980 CE and in Roman-era and Medieval hospitals in modern-day Germany and Scotland.
“We hope that this paper will have people think more about finds of black henbane seeds, since they are often grouped among wild plants in archaeobotanical reports and the potential use by humans can thus be overlooked,” said Groot. She noted that although her recent research was a “brief excursion into the wonderful world of archaeobotany,” she’s back to her work as a zooarchaeologist researching the role of animals in the past.
PinGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!.........................
Soldier: Sir. The barbarians are coming over the walls! Centurion: Oh how cool. Are they wearing green?
and so Rome fell.
Rodney:"They already are"
-BC
It applies as a herbal medicine, but may induce intoxication accidentally or intentionally.
All part of BH including leaves, seeds and roots contain some alkaloids such as Hyoscyamine, Atropine, Tropane and Scopolamine.
BH has pharmacological effects like bronchodilating, antisecretory, urinary bladder relaxant, spasmolytic, hypnotic, hallucinogenic, pupil dilating, sedative and anti-diarrheal properties.
Clinical manifestations of acute BH poisoning are very wide which include mydriasis, tachycardia, arrhythmia, agitation, convulsion and coma, dry mouth, thirst, slurred speech, difficulty speaking, dysphagia, warm flushed skin, pyrexia, nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision and photophobia, urinary retention, distension of the bladder, drowsiness, hyper reflexia, auditory, visual or tactile hallucinations, confusion, disorientation, delirium, aggressiveness, and combative behavior.
The main treatment of BH intoxicated patients is supportive therapies including gastric emptying (not by Ipecac), administration of activated charcoal and benzodiazepines.
Health care providers and physicians particularly emergency physicians and clinical toxicologists should know the nature, medical uses, clinical features, diagnosis and management of BH poisoning.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4224707/
Years ago where I worked, they handed out little pamphlets offering tips for safe winter driving.
One of the recommendations was “stay spaced out in traffic”.
Certain people thought it was pretty funny!
Has anticholinergic compounds...scopolamine, atropine, and hyoscyamine. Jimson weed (high in “scope”)...well known as hallucinogenic, belladonna also contains the same anticholinergic chemicals.
Anticholinergics are used in medicine also. Most of them don’t have the central nervous system effects as the anticholinergics in black henbane at the doses used.
Believe it or not...they used to use belladonna as a cigarette to relieve certain types of asthma. Sometimes patient would go kookoo..nowadays they use less psychoactive anticholinergics.
The ancients knew a lot more than we give them credit for. Even in the topic of medicinal plants. We shouldn’t conclude that the use of black henbane was for recreational hallucinogenic use only.
Fun fact: belladonna interpreted means “beautiful lady”..
Why? Most likely cause it dilated pupils...and ladies who used belladonna would get dilated pupils, and look more attractive...also belladonna might have a “beer goggle” effect on horny men(as long as they don’t take too much)...so any girl looks like a “ bella donna”.
“Oh, Donna”...cried Richie Valens...now you know why.( well....maybe..)..IMHO
The last line in paragraph 5 pretty much describes Biden’s press conference performance last week.
On a boxcutter I bought (probably came from China), the decal instructed: “Remove screws, insert blade, screw up.” Something lost in the idiom there.
Once in my classroom we had some German exchange students. One of the girls answered one of my students’ question asking if they had gangs in Germany. She replied, “Yes, there are tough guys in neighborhoods. They challenge each other to meet at a park where they all gather and beat off.” My students could scarcely stifle their guffaws.
The New Testament word for witchcraft is ‘pharmakia’ in Greek. I was struck by a building on the Roman Forum’s south side. It’s foundations had a story to tell. It was a pagan temple, then a catholic church, and now the HQ of the Italian pharmacological College. Further, consider the “navel of the world,” the sinkhole in solid rock that served the Delphic Oracle. This demonically influenced woman and her assistants would burn laurel leaves on a charcoal brazier. She would breathe in the psychoactive vapors and see visions. Consider the Aztec king. Once a year, after his wife collected a bowl of blood from him in the most brutal way imaginable, naptha would be mixed with the blood, the liquid burned, he would sniff the smoke, and in an trance would see the vision of the year.
Mind bending drugs are not new. They do not enhance consciousness. They do blur the God-given protective compartmentation of the mind.
They are evil and to be avoided.
Did the drug pushers give 10% to Caesar so they can deal drugs? I’m asking for a friend!
I believe that's called "Engrish".
They also used a product called...Tedral...combined theophylline, ephedrine, and phenobarbital. Glad the phenobarbital worked well for you.
I used Quadrinal. I think it’s the same as Tedral but with one more ingredient.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
