BELLADONNA

INTRODUCTION-

 COMMON NAME: deadly night shade

 PROVER: Dr. Hahnemann
 FAMILY: Solanaceae
 PARTS USE- Whole plant.
 PREPARATION- Preparation: Tincture of the whole plant, when beginning to
flower.
 PLANT DESCRIPTION- "Deadly Nightshade" redirects here. For the 1953 British
film, see Deadly Nightshade (film). Atropa belladonna, commonly known
as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a poisonous perennial herbaceous plant in the
nightshade family Solanaceae, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes,
and eggplant (aubergine). It is native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. Its
distribution extends from Great Britain in the west to western Ukraine and
the Iranian province of Gilan in the east. It is also naturalised or introduced in some
parts of Canada and the United States.The foliage and berries are
extremely toxic when ingested, containing tropane alkaloids.These toxins
include atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine,whichcause delirium and hallucinatio
ns, and are also used a pharmaceutical anticholinergics.
 These tropane alkaloids appear to be common in the family Solanaceae, as they are
also present in plants of the genera Brugmansia, Datura and Hyoscyamus, of the same
family but in different subfamilies and tribes than the nightshade.Atropa
belladonna has unpredictable effects.[1] The antidote for belladonna poisoning
is physostigmine or pilocarpine, the same as for atropine
Bella-beautiful, Dona-lady • Venetian ladies use it as cosmetic to brighten the eyes and flush
their cheeks due to the property of two alkaloids atropine &belladonna.

. • Hahnemann was the first one who discover its therapeutic value • It was Hahnemann’s
deep sight which could find out the immense curative value of these alkaloids and
transformed them into a marvelous medicines through the process of potentiating.

Belladonna is one of the CLARKE’S A .B.C NURSERIES others being aconite and
chamomilla • WHILE BELLADONNA CAUSES TURMOIL IN BRAIN, ACONITE AND
CHAMOMILLA CAUSE TURMOIL IN CIRCULATION AND TEMPERAMENT
RESPECTIVELY.

• DR.HERING-One of the first of all medicines Hahnemann experimented with, and

the one which led him in 1800 to the discovery, greater than any other ever made in
the domain of science, that the life-altering of drugs and poisons is not like the
chemical or physical, depending on the masses, but solely on the surface. This has
now been mathematically proved, and we have a full right to laugh at the stupid
stubborn who doubt it. 

• In 1805, Fragm. de vir. med. posit, Hahnemann published of his own observations

103 numbers, of others 312 ; in 1811 Reine Arzneimittellehre, vol. i, as the first ; of
his own observations 176, of others 474 ; in 1829 R. Aml., vol. i, second edition, his
own 380, of others and his disciples, Hornburg, E. Kummer, Herrmann, E. Stapf, W.
Gross, F. Hartmann, C. F. Langhammer, Rückert, J. E. A. Baehr, H. Lehmann, A. F.
Möchel, 1042 symptoms-in all, 1422 numbers ; in 1830 the third and last edition,
• Hahnemann had three more provers, and in all 1440 numbers, many had been
contracted and several numbers united into one ; in 1875 Allen has included, besides
the 85 authorities of Hahnemann, in all 241, and gives, without any concentration,
2544 symptoms without a cured one. By the aid of at least 1455 cured symptoms we
have been enabled to shorten the whole catalogue to somewhat less than 4000. The
next following theme will be the separation of the symptoms obtained from berries,
leaves and root, as far as it can be done.

• Dr.Clark-Belladonna acts primarily on the brain, and Teste very acutely explains the
diversity of its action on men and animals by suggesting that it acts with an intensity
proportionate to the brain development. On goats and rabbits it has no poisonous
action whatever. On carnivorous animals it acts with moderate intensity. On man it
acts with highest intensity. But on idiots, as Hufeland mentions, it has no more action
than it has on some of the carnivora. An enormous number of the symptoms of Bell.
are developed in and from the head and sensorium.

• DR.Farrington-Belladonna or the deadly nightshade was known to the medical

world as early as 1500 A.D. The Venetians named the plant " HERB A BELLA
DONNA," from the circumstance that the ladies used it in distilled water as a
cosmetic. The plant, especially the leaves, yields the well-known Atropine, as well as
Asparagine, and also lime and other alkaline substances. The root too contains
Atropine, although in variable proportions. Belladonna is intensely poisonous to man,
though herbivorous animals may eat it with impunity.

• DR.KENT-Belladonna is a remedy that takes hold of the system with great violence.
It is especially suitable to plethoric, vigorous individual, and intellectual people
brainy people have complaints coming on suddenly, providing they are in a
substantial state of health, and are reasonably plethoric and vascular.

• The complaints of Belladonna come on suddenly, run a regular course, and subside

suddenly. The pains and suffering come on suddenly and with great violence, and
subside suddenly.

•  DR.M.L.TYLER- This is another of Hahnemann’s Polycrests– drugs of many uses–

which has its place (for paramount utility in acute and violent conditions) in every
homoeopathic medicine chest, however diminutive:-One of those medicines, “without
which, we might indeed shut up shop”
• Violence runs through Belladonna, violence and suddenness. We associate
Belladonna in our minds with sudden violence– violent, pain, violent headache,
violent throbbings, violent delirium, violent mania, violent starts and twitchings,
violent convulsions.

• DR.VITHOULKAS

• THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES

• When one 'clearly perceives what it is in medicines which heals,' as Hahnemann

enjoins, then one no longer thinks of a medicine in narrow terms. That is to say, when
one understands the essence of a remedy, one can envision the possible applications
of that remedy in their broadest context.

• Many of our medicines are spoken of as 'acute remedies' or 'constitutional remedies',

but no such artificial boundaries exist in homeopathy. In the course of my personal
experience I have observed that Belladonna, a medicine generally considered as an
acute remedy, is among the most frequently used polychrests for chronic conditions as
well.

• Belladonna is a remedy characterised by great intensity and vividness. Both

Belladonna patients and Belladonna disease processes are impressive because of the
great energy they manifest. 
 SPHERE OF ACTION •

• Its chief centre of action is cerebrum from where it radiates .

• Influence upon the entire organism. •

• Brain and its membrane .

• cardio-vascular system ,heart lungs and mucous membrane of eyes. •

• mouth,throat,skin,glandular structure are also not spared.

PATHOGENESIS
• Its action on brain & its mucous membranes &various organ produces a state of
congestion every where in the body leading to inflammation, delirium, illusion,
delusion and hallucination and mania.

General hyperesthesia of both sensory and motor nerve.

• Resulting in congestion of blood vessels heart and consequently reflects symptoms

are produced.

CONSTITUTION •

Physical make up: since it is a acute remedy ,there is no serious importance ,however
it is adapted to bilious plethoric person with red face and to a condition in them of
local plethora • And also to those having lymphatic constitution with fine complexion
and delicate skin.

TEMPERAMENT

• Bilious, lymphatic • and nervous temperament

• Relation with heat and cold • Chilly

• Miasma:Psora in back ground

• Diathesis: tubercular

GUIDING SYMPTOMS-

o Right sided medicine • Acute ,sudden and violent onset is very characteristic
of these drugs. • this aspect of the symptoms

o . “Congestion” is the key not of belladonna. Its action on the brain a state of
active congestion is produced resulting in furious excitement
irriitability,convulsion delirium, and pain. Consequently there is flushed face,
throbbing carotids, heart and bounding pulse rush of blood to head wild
delirium • Congestion cause redness of face and eyes. Rush of blood to head
and face throbbing of brain and carotids.

o REDNESS • Redness of belladonna is very characteristic arising from this

congestion there is great redness of the inflamed part in particular and in
general, all over. • The skin is very red and shiny. Smooth redness of the
surface occur over the whole body.

o HEAT • Heat is yet another peculiarity. due to the congestion there is great
heat specially at the congested and inflamed part. • The heat is so severe that
the affected part imparts a burning sensation to the examining hand and the
physician is reflexly compelled to withdraw is hand.

o BURNING • Burning sensation is another characteristic of belladonna. •

There is intense burning anywhere and every where, both internal and external
such as in skin brain mouth throat tonsil stomach liver etc.
o SENSITIVITY • Sensitiveness to the touch of affected part is very well
marked. • Can not bear to be touched anywhere.

o DRYNESS • Great dryness runs through whole of this remedy. • The dryness
is often associated with heat, redness burning and throbbing.

o Along with all of these symptoms , sign of inflammation, swelling or oedema

are also found. • The affected part is swollen shiny very red and hot and
sensitive to touch.

o PAIN • GREAT PAIN REMEDY, character of which are : a) Pain comes

suddenly, last indefinitely or goes away suddenly b) Pain occurs usually in
short attacks c) Burning and throbbing in character of the PAIN WITH
REDNESS OF THE FACE AND EYES, Flushes of the head and throbbing of
carotids d) Pain runs from above.

o • The patient is very much sleepy, but cannot sleep. • Belladonna patients are
very much entertaning,jolly,well behaved and social when they are well,
becomes very violent and often delirious when they fall sick. • In belladonna
patient, sweat, if at all found, is only on the covered part

o THIRST • Generally belladonna patient is not thirsty specially in female

o • The complaint of belladonna patient are aggravated by touch jar and motion,
draught of air and heat of sun; after 3: p.m • Lying down and uncovering and
ameliorated by rest, standing or sitting erect and in a warm room.

o • Excellent remedy for delirious condition bought on by cerebral congestion. •

Great excitement and violence run through the whole remedy. • The patient is
very delirious with constant cerebral congestion.
 o • Belladonna is one of the Trio’s of delirious remedies; other being
hyoscyamus and stramonium. • The most characteristic feature of belladonna
is upsurge of blood to the brain.

o • When throbbing of carotids ,the heat, redness and congestion of face and
conjunctiva passes away, the delirium also subsides in proportion. •
Belladonna may have delirium with pale face also, as it alternate but that is an
exceptional case.

PARTICULAR-

MIND-Patient lives in a world of his own, engrossed by specters and visions and oblivious to
surrounding realities. While the retina is insensible to actual objects, a host of visual
hallucinations throng about him and come to him from within. He is acutely alive and crazed
by a flood of subjective visual impressions and fantastic illusions.

 Hallucinations; sees monsters, hideous faces. Delirium; frightful images; furious; rages,

bites, strikes; desire to escape. Loss of consciousness. Disinclined to talk. Perversity, with
tears. Acuteness of all senses. Changeableness.

RAGE • The patient has furious rage and anger. • He spits, bites and strikes those around
him. • He picks up the bed clothes, tears them to pieces and through them off. • He breaks
into fits of laughter and gnashes his teeth presenting a picture of absolute and violent insanity.

• The patient imagines seeing various things, such as ghost monsters, hideous
faces,various,black animals dogs wolves and dangerous wild animals. • There is great fear of
unusual and imaginary things; wants to run away from them; strange delusion illusion and
hallucination with loss of consciousness. • He uses absurd language; anxiety with desire to
flee escape and height.

AILMENTS

 Exposure to draught of cold air ,

  cold wind haircut uncovering the head getting wet,
 summer complaints,
 taking sausage and wine.

PARTICULAR-

HEADACHE •

CAUSATION: Exposure to cold or heat of sun; from hair cut; congestion and suppuration of
catarrhal flow . • Mode of onset: sudden and violent. • Location: Right side, supra-cilary
region and forehead.

SENSATION • As if the brain were pushed through the forehead. • Sensation of stabbing as
by a knife from one temple to the another.

CHARATER OF PAIN: there is intense periodical nerves and congestive headache. •

accompanied by tensive pressive on vertex forehead and rush of blood to the head with
pulsation of cerebral arteries and throbbing in brain.

MODALITIES: Aggravation: from slight motion jar,noise,light,touch,least exertion or

leaning forwards, bending downwards or lying down ;anything that takes the patient out of
the perpendicular position. • Amelioration ; by tight bandage and during menses .

CONCOMITANTS • RED FACE ,THROBBING OF CAROTID ;often with pain in the

eyeballs ,boring head into the pillow . • REDNESS OF EYES with burnning and great
intolerance of light. • Double vision, dim vision objects appear upside down

VERTIGO

• CAUSATION: stooping or rising after stooping or change of position . • Vertigo with

falling to the left side or backward ;as if objects turns in a circle or sway to and frown . •
Scalp is very sensitive to touch with much throbbing heat .

• Face.–Red, bluish-red, hot, swollen, shining; convulsive motion of muscles of face.

Swelling of upper lip. Facial neuralgia with twitching muscles and flushed face.
 • Eyes.–Throbbing deep in eyes on lying down. Pupils dilated (Agnus). Eyes feel
swollen and protruding, staring, brilliant; conjunctiva red; dry, burn; photophobia;
shooting in eyes. Exophthalmus. Ocular illusions; fiery appearance. Diplopia,
squinting, spasms of lids. Sensation as if eyes were half closed. Eyelids swollen.
Fundus congested.

• Ears.–Tearing pain in middle and external ear. Humming noises. Membrana tympani
bulges and injected. Parotid gland swollen. Sensitive to loud tones. Hearing very
acute. Otitis media. Pain causes delirium. Child cries out in sleep; throbbing and
beating pain deep in ear, synchronous with heart beat. Hematoma auris. Acute and
sub-acute conditions of Eustachian tube. Autophony-hearing one’s voice in ear.

• Nose.–Imaginary odors. Tingling in tip of nose. Red and swollen. Bleeding of nose,

with red face. Coryza; mucus mixed with blood.

GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT

• MOUTH : • Mouth is very dry with or without thirst . • Tongue and palate are dark red and
dry; tremor and stammering speech. • Sub maxillary gland are swollen. Putrid taste in the
mouth.

THROAT • There is a great dryness of the throat and fauces, with REDNESS AND
BURNING. • Worse on the right side. • Throat feels very much constricted with consequent
difficulty in deglutition. • tonsillitis, worse on the right side. • Uvula is red and swollen very
painful and burning.

STOMACH AND ABDOMEN • Loss of appetite • Aversion from meat, milk • Spasmodic
pain in epigastric region • Nausea and vomiting ;great thirst of cold water . • Dreads drinking.
• Uncontrollable vomiting.

ABDOMEN • Distended hot, tender swollen, pain as if clutched by a hand; worse from jars
and pressure. • Stitching and cutting pain on left side, when coughing sneezing

• Stools.–Thin, green, dysenteric; in lumps like chalk. Shuddering during stool.

Stinging pain in rectum; spasmodic stricture. Piles more sensitive with backache.
Prolapsus ani (Ignatia; Podoph).
• Urine.–Retention. Acute urinary infections. Sensation of motion in bladder as of a
worm. Urine scanty, with tenesmus; dark and turbid, loaded with phosphates. Vesical
region sensitive. Incontinence, continuous dropping. Frequent and profuse.
Hæmaturia where no pathological condition can be found. Prostatic hypertrophy.

• Male.–Testicles hard, drawn up, inflamed. Nocturnal sweat of genitals. Flow of

prostatic fluid. Desire diminished.

• Female.–Sensitive forcing downwards, as if all the viscera would protrude at

genitals. Dryness and heat of vagina. Dragging around loins. Pain in sacrum. Menses
increased; bright red, too early, too profuse. Hæmorrhage hot. Cutting pain from hip
to hip. Menses and lochia very offensive and hot. Labor-pains come and go
suddenly. Mastitis pain, throbbing, redness, streaks radiate from nipple. Breasts feel
heavy; are hard and red. Tumors of breast, pain worse lying down. Badly smelling
hæmorrhages, hot gushes of blood. Diminished lochia.

• Respiratory.–Drying in nose, fauces, larynx, and trachea. Tickling, short, dry cough;

worse at night. Larynx feels sore. Respiration oppressed, quick, unequal. Cheyne-
Stokes respiration (Cocaine; Opium). Hoarse; loss of voice. Painless hoarseness.
Cough with pain in left hip. Barking cough, whooping cough, with pain in stomach
before attack, with expectoration of blood. Stitches in chest when coughing. Larynx
very painful; feels as if a foreign body were in it, with cough. High, piping voice.
Moaning at every breath.

• Heart.–Violent palpitation, reverberating in head, with labored breathing. Palpitation

from least exertion. Throbbing all through body. Dichrotism. Heart seemed too large.
Rapid but weakened pulse.

• Extremities.–Shooting pains along limbs. Joints swollen, red, shining, with red
streaks radiating. Tottering gait. Shifting rheumatic pains. Phlegmasia alba dolens.
Jerking limbs. Spasms. Involuntary limping. Cold extremities.

• Back.–Stiff neck. Swelling of glands of neck. Pain in nape, as if it would break.

Pressure on dorsal region most painful. Lumbago, with pain in hips and thighs.

• Skin.–Dry and hot; swollen, sensitive; burns scarlet, smooth. Eruption like scarlatina,
suddenly spreading. Erythema; pustules on face. Glands swollen, tender, red. Boils.
 Acne rosacea. Suppurative wounds. Alternate redness and paleness of the skin.
Indurations after inflammations. Erysipelas.

• FEVER • CAUSATION :draught of cold air , uncovering the head, haircut summer,
sun • MODE OF ONSET: sudden and violent • SYMPTOMS: • High fever state •
Burning pungent steaming heat • Feet icy cold, no thirst with fever.

• Sleep.–Restless, crying out, gritting of teeth. Kept awake by pulsation of blood-

vessels. Screams out in sleep. Sleeplessness, with drowsiness. Starting when closing
the eyes or during sleep. Sleeps with hands under head (Ars; Plat).

GENERAL MODALITIES •

• DR.PHATAK-

• WORSE

•       Heat of Sun; if heated. DRAFTS_on head; haircut; washing head. After taking
cold. Light; noise; jarring. CHECKED SWEAT. Touch. Company. Pressure. Motion.
Hanging down affected part. Afternoon. Lying down. Looking at shining objects or
running water.

• BETTER

•       Light covering. Bending backward, semi-erect. Rest in bed. Standing. Leaning
head against something. Bending or turning the affected part.

RELATION

COMPLEMENTORY: to calcarea •

FOLLOWS WELL :Ars.alb.Camphora,hepar-sulph, merc.sol

FOLLWED WELL BY : Dulcamra,hepar.sulph,hyoscyamus,lachesis,rhus.tox.

ANTIDOTE: coffea.cruda,hyoscyamus.

DOSE-

First to thirtieth potency and higher. Must be repeated frequently in acute diseases.
RUBRICS-

MIND-AILMENTS FROM-love, disappointed -excitement , with general

MIND-ANGER-cough

MIND-ANGUISH-noon

MIND-BITTING-night

MIND-CROAKING-sleep, in

MIND-DANCING- -alternating with-sighing

MIND-DANCING- -alternating with-weeping

MIND-DEATH -desires- anguish, from

MIND-DEATH -desires-rage, during intervals from

MIND-DEATH -desires-walking in -open air, while

MIND-DELIRIUM- alternating with-sleep

MIND-DELIRIUM-arms-throws about

MIND-DELIRIUM-carotids pulsating with

MIND-DELIRIUM-eating-amel.

MIND-DELIRIUM-face-livid

MIND-DELIRIUM-face-red

MIND-DELIRIUM-grimaces, with

MIND-DELIRIUM-grinding teeth, with

MIND-DELIRIUM-terror, expressive of

MIND-DELIRIUM-urinating -pot , outside the

MIND-DELIRIUM-drinking

MIND-DELIRIUM-sink down between the lights, body will

MIND-DELIRIUM-body-spotted down ,is

MIND-DELIRIUM- cucumbers on the bed, sees