Remedies – Belladonna

Genus: Atropa

Common name: Deadly nightshade, Devil’s cherries, Witches berries.

Family: Solanaceae (Nightshades – Potato, Tomato, Eggplant, Peppers)

After blooming from June through August, the lovely flowers of the belladonna plant are replaced by dark, glossy berries that betray the baleful properties of this bushy perennial herbaceous plant that is native to Great Britain, central and south Europe, North Africa, and Iran. It is also found in parts of Canada and the United States. Every part of the belladonna plant, which means “beautiful lady” in Italian, is poisonous. The plant’s medicinal properties have been known and used since ancient times for healing and also for sinister purposes. The Roman emperors Augustus and Claudius were purportedly poisoned with belladonna by their wives. Belladonna berry juice was used in eyedrops by women during the Renaissance to dilate their pupils and make their eyes sparkle. Atropine, a psychotropic alkaloid found in some plants of the Solanaceae family, is still used as an ingredient in eyedrops to dilate the pupils before an eye examination. Belladonna berries may have been the inspiration for the “Nightlock” berries that are featured in a pivotal scene in The Hunger Games movie.

When prepared homeopathically, the powerful poisonous properties of Belladonna are replaced by a non-toxic energetic stimulus that can assist someone during an acute condition characterized by sudden onset, throbbing or pulsating pain, and inflammation with redness and heat . The usually happy child who is sick may reflect a Belladonna state by becoming angry, obstinate, and agitated, perhaps striking or throwing things in a temper tantrum. A person needing Belladonna is sensitive to light and noise, and may feel like screaming with pain. Sleep is restless and disturbed by nightmares. There may be a high fever, dilated glassy eyes, and possibly delirium. When the symptoms fit, homeopathic Belladonna is useful for convulsions during teething, ear infections, childhood infectious diseases, mastitis, menstrual problems, sunstroke, and migraines.

Keynotes:

• High fever with hallucinations
• Febrile convulsions, twitches or jerking, seizures
• Intense heat in the affected part, hot face but cold hands and feet
• Migraines that begin in the back of the head and radiate to the forehead or right temple
• Sinus pain, sinusitis
• Otitis media, usually right sided, worse at night in bed, throbbing
• Tonsillitis, worse on right side, with dark red swollen tonsils
• Thirstless, but may crave lemonade
• Severe menstrual pain and bleeding with dark blood mixed with large, dark clots, uterine hemorrhage
• Mastitis with great tenderness, heat, and inflammation
• Acute arthritis with a red inflamed swollen joint
• Appendicitis
• Acute cholecystitis/gallbladder inflammation with gallstones

Information contained on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be used to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Any information provided is not intended to replace medical advice offered by a physician. If you desire or need such advice, you should consult a professional healthcare provider.