97-406: Deadly Nightshade may refer to: Deadly nightshade ( Atropa belladonna ), a poisonous perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Deadly Nightshade (comics) , a Marvel Comics character Deadly Nightshade (film) , a 1953 British crime drama film The Deadly Nightshade , an American rock and country band "Deadly Nightshade", a song by
194-542: A "disagreement" with Rudbeck's wife and had to move out of his mentor's house; his relationship with Rudbeck did not appear to suffer. That Christmas, Linnaeus returned home to Stenbrohult to visit his parents for the first time in about three years. His mother had disapproved of his failing to become a priest, but she was pleased to learn he was teaching at the University. During a visit with his parents, Linnaeus told them about his plan to travel to Lapland ; Rudbeck had made
291-522: A bag of bread, salt , and brandy . She would dig up a deadly nightshade root and leave the three offerings in its place. As she returned home, she carried the root on the top of her head. On the way both to and from home, she avoided all quarrels and arguments. If asked by anyone on the way back what she was taking home, she would not divulge the truth or the spell would break. Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné ,
388-479: A catalogue of the botanical holdings in the herbarium and botanical garden of Hartekamp. He wrote it in nine months (completed in July 1737), but it was not published until 1738. It contains the first use of the name Nepenthes , which Linnaeus used to describe a genus of pitcher plants . Linnaeus stayed with Clifford at Hartekamp until 18 October 1737 (new style), when he left the house to return to Sweden. Illness and
485-466: A child's talents than develop them". Two years after his tutoring had begun, he was sent to the Lower Grammar School at Växjö in 1717. Linnaeus rarely studied, often going to the countryside to look for plants. At some point, his father went to visit him and, after hearing critical assessments by his preceptors, he decided to put the youth as an apprentice to some honest cobbler. He reached
582-643: A collector of natural history, and to see his cabinet , as well as to visit the Chelsea Physic Garden and its keeper, Philip Miller . He taught Miller about his new system of subdividing plants, as described in Systema Naturae . At first, Miller was reluctant to use the new binomial nomenclature , preferring instead the classifications of Joseph Pitton de Tournefort and John Ray . Nevertheless, Linnaeus applauded Miller's Gardeners Dictionary . The conservative Miller actually retained in his dictionary
679-430: A copy of Sir Hans Sloane's Natural History of Jamaica , a rare book, if he let Linnaeus stay with him, and Burman accepted. On 24 September 1735, Linnaeus moved to Hartekamp to become personal physician to Clifford, and curator of Clifford's herbarium. He was paid 1,000 florins a year, with free board and lodging. Though the agreement was only for a winter of that year, Linnaeus practically stayed there until 1738. It
776-555: A curriculum designed for boys preparing for the priesthood. In the last year at the gymnasium, Linnaeus's father visited to ask the professors how his son's studies were progressing; to his dismay, most said that the boy would never become a scholar. Rothman believed otherwise, suggesting Linnaeus could have a future in medicine. The doctor offered to have Linnaeus live with his family in Växjö and to teach him physiology and botany. Nils accepted this offer. Rothman showed Linnaeus that botany
873-485: A different genus within Solanaceae . A comparison of the fruit shows that black nightshade berries are spherical, have a dull lustre and grow in clusters, whereas the berries of deadly nightshade are much glossier, twice as large, somewhat flattened and are borne singly. Another distinction is that black nightshade flowers are not tubular but white and star-shaped, bearing a central cone of yellow anthers. Atropa belladonna
970-560: A director of the Dutch East India Company and the owner of a rich botanical garden at the estate of Hartekamp in Heemstede . Clifford was very impressed with Linnaeus's ability to classify plants, and invited him to become his physician and superintendent of his garden. Linnaeus had already agreed to stay with Burman over the winter, and could thus not accept immediately. However, Clifford offered to compensate Burman by offering him
1067-529: A dissertation, written back in Sweden, entitled Dissertatio medica inauguralis in qua exhibetur hypothesis nova de febrium intermittentium causa , in which he laid out his hypothesis that malaria arose only in areas with clay-rich soils. Although he failed to identify the true source of disease transmission, (i.e., the Anopheles mosquito ), he did correctly predict that Artemisia annua ( wormwood ) would become
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#17329052454161164-456: A family, he received permission to marry his fiancée, Sara Elisabeth Moræa. Their wedding was held 26 June 1739. Seventeen months later, Sara gave birth to their first son, Carl . Two years later, a daughter, Elisabeth Christina , was born, and the subsequent year Sara gave birth to Sara Magdalena, who died when 15 days old. Sara and Linnaeus would later have four other children: Lovisa, Sara Christina, Johannes and Sophia. In May 1741, Linnaeus
1261-562: A free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841, was poisoned using a combination of Atropa belladonna and laudanum . In the past, witches were believed to use a mixture of belladonna, opium poppy and other plants, typically poisonous (such as monkshood and hemlock ), in flying ointment , which they allegedly applied to help them fly to gatherings with other witches or to experience bacchanalian carousal. Carlo Ginzburg and others have argued that flying ointments were preparations meant to encourage hallucinatory dreaming;
1358-533: A medical prescription in pharmacies throughout Germany. In the United States, drugs containing tropane alkaloids such as atropine are prescription-only , and the FDA regards any over-the-counter products claiming efficacy and safety as an anticholinergic drug, to be illegal. The common name belladonna originates from its historic use by women, as bella donna is Italian for "beautiful woman". Drops prepared from
1455-476: A naturalist." Linnaeus has been called Princeps botanicorum (Prince of Botanists) and "The Pliny of the North". He is also considered one of the founders of modern ecology . In botany, the abbreviation L. is used to indicate Linnaeus as the authority for a species' name. In zoology, the abbreviation Linnaeus is generally used; the abbreviations L., Linnæus and Linné are also used. In older publications,
1552-472: A new benefactor, Olof Celsius , who was a professor of theology and an amateur botanist. He received Linnaeus into his home and allowed him use of his library, which was one of the richest botanical libraries in Sweden. In 1729, Linnaeus wrote a thesis, Praeludia Sponsaliorum Plantarum on plant sexual reproduction . This attracted the attention of Rudbeck; in May 1730, he selected Linnaeus to give lectures at
1649-564: A number of pre-Linnaean binomial signifiers discarded by Linnaeus but which have been retained by modern botanists. He only fully changed to the Linnaean system in the edition of The Gardeners Dictionary of 1768. Miller ultimately was impressed, and from then on started to arrange the garden according to Linnaeus's system. Linnaeus also travelled to Oxford University to visit the botanist Johann Jacob Dillenius . He failed to make Dillenius publicly fully accept his new classification system, though
1746-611: A physician, and thus to make it possible to support a family. Once again, Linnaeus found a patron; he became acquainted with Count Carl Gustav Tessin , who helped him get work as a physician at the Admiralty. During this time in Stockholm, Linnaeus helped found the Royal Swedish Academy of Science ; he became the first Praeses of the academy by drawing of lots. Because his finances had improved and were now sufficient to support
1843-485: A possible explanation for the inclusion of belladonna and opium poppy in flying ointments concerns the known antagonism between tropane alkaloids of belladonna ( scopolamine ) and opiate alkaloids in the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum (to be specific, morphine ), which produces a dream-like waking state ( hypnagogia ) or potentiated dreams while the user is asleep. This antagonism was known in folk medicine and discussed in traditional medicine formularies. Belladonna
1940-556: A practical way, making this the first proto-modern Flora . The account covered 534 species, used the Linnaean classification system and included, for the described species, geographical distribution and taxonomic notes. It was Augustin Pyramus de Candolle who attributed Linnaeus with Flora Lapponica as the first example in the botanical genre of Flora writing. Botanical historian E. L. Greene described Flora Lapponica as "the most classic and delightful" of Linnaeus's works. It
2037-453: A shiny black, and approximately 1.5 cm (0.6 in) in diameter. The berries are sweet and are consumed by animals that disperse the seeds in their droppings, even though they contain toxic alkaloids (see Toxicity ). There is a pale-yellow flowering form called Atropa belladonna var. lutea with pale yellow fruit. A. belladonna is sometimes confused with the much less poisonous black nightshade , Solanum nigrum , belonging to
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#17329052454162134-566: A small group of students to Dalarna . Funded by the Governor of Dalarna, the expedition was to catalogue known natural resources and discover new ones, but also to gather intelligence on Norwegian mining activities at Røros . His relations with Nils Rosén having worsened, Linnaeus accepted an invitation from Claes Sohlberg, son of a mining inspector, to spend the Christmas holiday in Falun , where Linnaeus
2231-462: A source of antimalarial medications. Within two weeks he had completed his oral and practical examinations and was awarded a doctoral degree. That summer Linnaeus reunited with Peter Artedi , a friend from Uppsala with whom he had once made a pact that should either of the two predecease the other, the survivor would finish the decedent's work. Ten weeks later, Artedi drowned in the canals of Amsterdam , leaving behind an unfinished manuscript on
2328-452: A thesis along with Frederick Lindberg, a physician student, based on their experiences. In the tradition of the period, this dissertation was essentially an idea of the presiding reviewer ( prases ) expounded upon by the student. Linnaeus's dissertation was translated into French by J. E. Gilibert in 1770 as La Nourrice marâtre, ou Dissertation sur les suites funestes du nourrisage mercénaire . Linnaeus suggested that children might absorb
2425-432: Is a branching herbaceous perennial rhizomatous hemicryptophyte , often growing as a subshrub from a fleshy rootstock. Plants can reach a height of 2 m (7 ft) (more commonly 1.5 m (5 ft)), and have ovate leaves up to 18 cm (7 in) long. The bell-shaped flowers are dull purple tinged yellow-green toward the base and are faintly scented. The fruits are berries , which are green, ripening to
2522-571: Is also notable for the unpredictability of its toxic effects. Among the ancient folk traditions of the Romanian ( Moldavian ) / Ukrainian region of Bukovina in the Carpathians is the ritual for a Bukovinian girl to enhance her attractiveness by making an offering to deadly nightshade. She entered the fields on a Sunday in Shrovetide , clad in her Sunday best , accompanied by her mother and bringing
2619-623: Is considered extremely dangerous because of the high risk of unintentional fatal overdose . The main psychoactive ingredients are the alkaloids scopolamine and, to a lesser extent, hyoscyamine. The effects of atropine on the central nervous system include memory disruption, which may lead to severe confusion. The major effects of belladonna consumption last for three to four hours; visual hallucinations can last for three to four days, and some negative aftereffects are preserved for several days. The tropane alkaloids of A. belladonna were used as poisons, and early humans made poisonous arrows from
2716-469: Is derived from the name of the Greek goddess Atropos ('she who may not be turned aside' i.e. 'the inflexible' or 'the implacable')—one of the three Greek fates or destinies who would determine the course of a man's life by the weaving of threads that symbolized his birth, the events in his life, and finally his death, with Atropos cutting these threads to mark the last of these. The name "belladonna" comes from
2813-467: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna , commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade , is a toxic perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae , which also includes tomatoes , potatoes and aubergine (eggplant). It is native to Europe and Western Asia , including Turkey . Its distribution extends from Ireland in
2910-521: Is in the nightshade family ( Solanaceae ), which it shares with potatoes , tomatoes , eggplants , jimsonweed , tobacco , wolfberry , and chili peppers . The common names for this species include belladonna, deadly nightshade, divale, dwale, banewort, devil's berries, death cherries, beautiful death, devil's herb, great morel, and dwayberry. The name Atropa belladonna was published by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753. Atropa
3007-566: Is insufficient scientific evidence justifying the use of belladonna for these or any other clinical disorders. In 2010 and 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration warned consumers against the use of homeopathic teething tablets and gels containing belladonna as used for infants and children, stating that the products may be toxic , causing "seizures, difficulty breathing, lethargy, excessive sleepiness, muscle weakness, skin flushing, constipation, difficulty urinating, or agitation" especially for
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3104-516: Is native to temperate southern, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey , Iran and the Caucasus , but has been cultivated and introduced outside its native range. In southern Sweden it was recorded in Flora of Skåne in 1870 as grown in apothecary gardens near Malmö. In Britain it is native only on calcareous soils, on disturbed ground, field margins, hedgerows and open woodland. More widespread as an alien, it
3201-411: Is often a relic of cultivation as a medicinal herb. Seed is spread mainly by birds. It is naturalised in parts of North America and North Africa , where it is often found in shady, moist locations with limestone -rich soils . It is considered a weed species in parts of the world, where it colonizes areas with disturbed soils. Atropa belladonna is rarely used in gardens, but, when grown, it
3298-427: Is usually for its large upright habit and showy berries. Germination of the small seeds is often difficult, due to hard seed coats that cause seed dormancy . Germination takes several weeks under alternating temperature conditions, but can be sped up with the use of gibberellic acid . The seedlings need sterile soil to prevent damping off and resent root disturbance during transplanting. Atropa belladonna
3395-446: The Beast of Revelation . Even at the risk of incurring the mayor's wrath, Linnaeus made his observations public, dashing the mayor's dreams of selling the hydra for an enormous sum. Linnaeus and Sohlberg were forced to flee from Hamburg. Linnaeus began working towards his degree as soon as he reached Harderwijk , a university known for awarding degrees in as little as a week. He submitted
3492-563: The Old World tribes Hyoscyameae (to which the genus Atropa belongs) and Mandragoreae , but also in the New World tribe Datureae —all of which belong to the subfamily Solanoideae of the plant family Solanaceae. Atropa belladonna has unpredictable effects. The antidote for belladonna poisoning is physostigmine or pilocarpine , the same as for atropine . The potentially deadly ripe fruit of Atropa belladonna can be distinguished from
3589-490: The curate of the small village of Stenbrohult in Småland. Christina was the daughter of the rector of Stenbrohult, Samuel Brodersonius. A year after Linnaeus's birth, his grandfather Samuel Brodersonius died, and his father Nils became the rector of Stenbrohult. The family moved into the rectory from the curate's house. Even in his early years, Linnaeus seemed to have a liking for plants, flowers in particular. Whenever he
3686-730: The Egyptian henbane plant (another nightshade) for the above-mentioned purpose of dilating the pupils of her eyes. The use of deadly nightshades as a poison was known in ancient Rome, as attested by the rumour that the Roman empress Livia Drusilla used the juice of Atropa belladonna berries to murder her husband, the emperor Augustus . In the first century AD, Dioscorides recognized wine of mandrake as an anaesthetic for treatment of pain or sleeplessness, to be given prior to surgery or cautery. The use of nightshade preparations for anaesthesia, often in combination with opium , persisted throughout
3783-576: The FDA and Donnatal labeling , it is possibly effective for use as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (irritable colon, spastic colon, mucous colitis) and acute enterocolitis . Donnatal is not approved by the FDA as being either safe or effective. According to the FDA, Donnatal use has significant risks: it can cause harm to a fetus if administered to a pregnant woman, can lead to heat prostration if used in hot climates, may cause constipation, and may produce drowsiness or blurred vision. The Towns-Lambert or Bella Donna Cure
3880-580: The Roman and Islamic empires and continued in Europe until superseded in the 19th century by modern anaesthetics. The modern pharmacological study of Atropa belladonna extracts was begun by the German chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge (1795–1867). In 1831, the German pharmacist Heinrich F. G. Mein (1799–1864) succeeded in preparing a pure crystalline form of the active substance, named atropine . Atropa belladonna
3977-567: The Scottish doctor Isaac Lawson , the manuscript was published as Systema Naturae (1735). Linnaeus became acquainted with one of the most respected physicians and botanists in the Netherlands, Herman Boerhaave , who tried to convince Linnaeus to make a career there. Boerhaave offered him a journey to South Africa and America, but Linnaeus declined, stating he would not stand the heat. Instead, Boerhaave convinced Linnaeus that he should visit
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4074-547: The Swedish province of Västergötland . He set out from Uppsala on 12 June and returned on 11 August. On the expedition his primary companion was Erik Gustaf Lidbeck, a student who had accompanied him on his previous journey. Linnaeus described his findings from the expedition in the book Wästgöta-Resa , published the next year. After he returned from the journey, the Government decided Linnaeus should take on another expedition to
4171-610: The Sword from the album Used Future See also [ edit ] Nightshade (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Deadly Nightshade . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deadly_Nightshade&oldid=1180646064 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
4268-490: The University although the young man was only a second-year student. His lectures were popular, and Linnaeus often addressed an audience of 300 people. In June, Linnaeus moved from Celsius's house to Rudbeck's to become the tutor of the three youngest of his 24 children. His friendship with Celsius did not wane and they continued their botanical expeditions. Over that winter, Linnaeus began to doubt Tournefort's system of classification and decided to create one of his own. His plan
4365-521: The abbreviation "Linn." is found. Linnaeus's remains constitute the type specimen for the species Homo sapiens following the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature , since the sole specimen that he is known to have examined was himself. Linnaeus was born in the village of Råshult in Småland , Sweden, on 23 May 1707. He was the first child of Nicolaus (Nils) Ingemarsson (who later adopted
4462-534: The age of 17, Linnaeus had become well acquainted with the existing botanical literature. He remarks in his journal that he "read day and night, knowing like the back of my hand, Arvidh Månsson's Rydaholm Book of Herbs, Tillandz's Flora Åboensis, Palmberg's Serta Florea Suecana, Bromelii's Chloros Gothica and Rudbeckii's Hortus Upsaliensis". Linnaeus entered the Växjö Katedralskola in 1724, where he studied mainly Greek , Hebrew , theology and mathematics ,
4559-441: The belladonna plant were used to dilate women's pupils , an effect considered to be attractive and seductive. Belladonna drops act as a muscarinic antagonist , blocking receptors in the muscles of the eye that constrict pupil size. Belladonna is currently rarely used cosmetically, as it carries the adverse effects of causing minor visual distortions, inability to focus on near objects, and increased heart rate. Prolonged usage
4656-442: The botanist Johannes Burman . After his visit, Burman, impressed with his guest's knowledge, decided Linnaeus should stay with him during the winter. During his stay, Linnaeus helped Burman with his Thesaurus Zeylanicus . Burman also helped Linnaeus with the books on which he was working: Fundamenta Botanica and Bibliotheca Botanica . In August 1735, during Linnaeus's stay with Burman, he met George Clifford III ,
4753-424: The class of organisms. Linnaeus published Species Plantarum , the work which is now internationally accepted as the starting point of modern botanical nomenclature , in 1753. The first volume was issued on 24 May, the second volume followed on 16 August of the same year. The book contained 1,200 pages and was published in two volumes; it described over 7,300 species. The same year the king dubbed him knight of
4850-409: The classification of fish. One of the first scientists Linnaeus met in the Netherlands was Johan Frederik Gronovius , to whom Linnaeus showed one of the several manuscripts he had brought with him from Sweden. The manuscript described a new system for classifying plants. When Gronovius saw it, he was very impressed, and offered to help pay for the printing. With an additional monetary contribution by
4947-440: The expedition were later published in Öländska och Gothländska Resa , written in Swedish. Like Flora Lapponica , it contained both zoological and botanical observations, as well as observations concerning the culture in Öland and Gotland. During the summer of 1745, Linnaeus published two more books: Flora Suecica and Fauna Suecica . Flora Suecica was a strictly botanical book, while Fauna Suecica
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#17329052454165044-411: The family name Linnaeus) and Christina Brodersonia. His siblings were Anna Maria Linnæa, Sofia Juliana Linnæa, Samuel Linnæus (who would eventually succeed their father as rector of Stenbrohult and write a manual on beekeeping ), and Emerentia Linnæa. His father taught him Latin as a small child. One of a long line of peasants and priests, Nils was an amateur botanist , a Lutheran minister , and
5141-422: The first edition of his Systema Naturae in the Netherlands. He then returned to Sweden where he became professor of medicine and botany at Uppsala. In the 1740s, he was sent on several journeys through Sweden to find and classify plants and animals. In the 1750s and 1760s, he continued to collect and classify animals, plants, and minerals, while publishing several volumes. By the time of his death in 1778, he
5238-544: The flora and fauna in the vicinity of Uppsala. Linnaeus published Philosophia Botanica in 1751. The book contained a complete survey of the taxonomy system he had been using in his earlier works. It also contained information of how to keep a journal on travels and how to maintain a botanical garden. During Linnaeus's time it was normal for upper class women to have wet nurses for their babies. Linnaeus joined an ongoing campaign to end this practice in Sweden and promote breast-feeding by mothers. In 1752 Linnaeus published
5335-590: The genus name Atropa because of the poisonous properties of these plants. Atropos (lit. "unturning one"), one of the Three Fates in Greek mythology, is said to have cut a person's thread of life after her sisters had spun and measured it. Linnaeus chose the species name belladonna ("beautiful woman" in Italian) in reference to the cosmetic use of the plant during the Renaissance , when women were believed to have used
5432-748: The greatest danger to children because they look attractive and have a somewhat sweet taste. The root of the plant is generally the most toxic part, though this can vary from one specimen to another. The active agents in belladonna, atropine , hyoscine (scopolamine), and hyoscyamine , have anticholinergic properties. The symptoms of belladonna poisoning include dilated pupils , sensitivity to light, blurred vision , tachycardia , loss of balance , staggering, headache, rash , flushing, severely dry mouth and throat, slurred speech, urinary retention , constipation , confusion , hallucinations , delirium, and convulsions. In 2009, A. belladonna berries were mistaken for blueberries by an adult woman;
5529-877: The journey in 1695, but the detailed results of his exploration were lost in a fire seven years afterwards. Linnaeus's hope was to find new plants, animals and possibly valuable minerals. He was also curious about the customs of the native Sami people , reindeer-herding nomads who wandered Scandinavia's vast tundras. In April 1732, Linnaeus was awarded a grant from the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala for his journey. Linnaeus began his expedition from Uppsala on 12 May 1732, just before he turned 25. He travelled on foot and horse, bringing with him his journal, botanical and ornithological manuscripts and sheets of paper for pressing plants. Near Gävle he found great quantities of Campanula serpyllifolia , later known as Linnaea borealis ,
5626-429: The juice of the berries in eyedrops intended to dilate the pupils and make the eyes appear more seductive. Extracts of plants in the deadly nightshade family have been in use since at least the 4th century BC, when Mandragora ( mandrake ) was recommended by Theophrastus for treatment of wounds, gout, and sleeplessness, and as a love potion . In the first century BC, Cleopatra used Atropine-rich extracts from
5723-577: The kindness of Dutch friends obliged him to stay some months longer in Holland. In May 1738, he set out for Sweden again. On the way home, he stayed in Paris for about a month, visiting botanists such as Antoine de Jussieu . After his return, Linnaeus never again left Sweden. When Linnaeus returned to Sweden on 28 June 1738, he went to Falun , where he entered into an engagement to Sara Elisabeth Moræa . Three months later, he moved to Stockholm to find employment as
5820-524: The last year of the Lower School when he was fifteen, which was taught by the headmaster, Daniel Lannerus, who was interested in botany. Lannerus noticed Linnaeus's interest in botany and gave him the run of his garden. He also introduced him to Johan Rothman, the state doctor of Småland and a teacher at Katedralskolan (a gymnasium ) in Växjö. Also a botanist, Rothman broadened Linnaeus's interest in botany and helped him develop an interest in medicine. By
5917-446: The lower potencies which are, counterintuitively, the ones that are more likely to include belladonna since they are less diluted. Atropa belladonna and related plants, such as Datura stramonium (commonly known as jimson weed), have occasionally been used as recreational drugs because of the vivid hallucinations and delirium they produce. These hallucinations are most commonly described as very unpleasant, and recreational use
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#17329052454166014-455: The personality of their wet nurse through the milk. He admired the child care practices of the Lapps and pointed out how healthy their babies were compared to those of Europeans who employed wet nurses. He compared the behaviour of wild animals and pointed out how none of them denied their newborns their breastmilk. It is thought that his activism played a role in his choice of the term Mammalia for
6111-417: The plant contain tropane alkaloids ; roots have up to 1.3%, leaves 1.2%, stalks 0.65%, flowers 0.6%, ripe berries 0.7%, and seeds 0.4% tropane alkaloids; leaves reach maximal alkaloid content when the plant is budding and flowering, roots are most poisonous in the end of the plant's vegetation period. Belladonna nectar is transformed by bees into honey that also contains tropane alkaloids. The berries pose
6208-635: The plant. In Ancient Rome , it was used as a poison by Agrippina the Younger , wife of Emperor Claudius , on the advice of Locusta , a woman who specialized in poisons, and Livia , who is rumored to have used it to kill her husband Emperor Augustus . The Scots used it during a truce to poison the troops of the invading Harold Harefoot , King of England, to the point that the English troops were unable to stand their ground and had to retreat to their ships. Medical historians also suspect that Solomon Northup ,
6305-455: The quality of its ferruginous water. The journey was successful, and Linnaeus's observations were published the next year in Skånska Resa . In 1750, Linnaeus became rector of Uppsala University, starting a period where natural sciences were esteemed. Perhaps the most important contribution he made during his time at Uppsala was to teach; many of his students travelled to various places in
6402-556: The same as an egg plant, but its flower looks a little bit different. This plant's flowers are very attractive, looking like a lily flower, and its fruits are ball-shaped. It is very dangerous to consume. Atropa belladonna has a long history of use as a medicine, cosmetic, and poison. Known originally under various folk names (such as "deadly nightshade" in English), the plant was named Atropa belladonna by Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) when he devised his classification system. Linnaeus chose
6499-540: The same as for atropine. Atropa belladonna is also toxic to many domestic animals, causing narcosis and paralysis . However, cattle and rabbits eat the plant seemingly without suffering harmful effects. In humans, its anticholinergic properties will cause the disruption of cognitive capacities, such as memory and learning. Belladonna cultivation is legal in Southern and Eastern Europe, Pakistan, North America, and Brazil. Belladonna leaves and roots can be bought with
6596-466: The similar Solanum nigrum by its larger berry size, its much larger calyx than S. nigrum that extends wider than the fruit (either encasing it or extending flat), and that A. belladonna has singular berries, whilst S. nigrum grows as a cluster of berries located on a descending stem, similar to tomatoes. Solanum nigrum has other potentially toxic look alikes and should be confidently identified before attempts at foraging. This plant's structure looks
6693-423: The six berries she ate were documented to result in severe anticholinergic syndrome . The plant's deadly symptoms are caused by atropine's disruption of the parasympathetic nervous system 's ability to regulate involuntary activities, such as sweating, breathing, and heart rate. The antidote for belladonna poisoning is an anticholinesterase (such as physostigmine ) or a cholinomimetic (such as pilocarpine ),
6790-561: The southernmost province Scania . This journey was postponed, as Linnaeus felt too busy. In 1747, Linnaeus was given the title archiater , or chief physician, by the Swedish king Adolf Frederick —a mark of great respect. The same year he was elected member of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin . In the spring of 1749, Linnaeus could finally journey to Scania , again commissioned by the government. With him he brought his student Olof Söderberg. On
6887-744: The twinflower that would become his favourite. He sometimes dismounted on the way to examine a flower or rock and was particularly interested in mosses and lichens , the latter a main part of the diet of the reindeer , a common and economically important animal in Lapland. Linnaeus travelled clockwise around the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia , making major inland incursions from Umeå , Luleå and Tornio . He returned from his six-month-long, over 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) expedition in October, having gathered and observed many plants, birds and rocks. Although Lapland
6984-636: The two men remained in correspondence for many years afterwards. Linnaeus dedicated his Critica Botanica to him, as " opus botanicum quo absolutius mundus non-vidit ". Linnaeus would later name a genus of tropical tree Dillenia in his honour. He then returned to Hartekamp, bringing with him many specimens of rare plants. The next year, 1737, he published Genera Plantarum , in which he described 935 genera of plants, and shortly thereafter he supplemented it with Corollarium Generum Plantarum , with another sixty ( sexaginta ) genera. His work at Hartekamp led to another book, Hortus Cliffortianus ,
7081-419: The two professors who taught at the medical faculty at Uppsala: Olof Rudbeck the Younger and Lars Roberg . Although Rudbeck and Roberg had undoubtedly been good professors, by then they were older and not so interested in teaching. Rudbeck no longer gave public lectures, and had others stand in for him. The botany, zoology, pharmacology and anatomy lectures were not in their best state. In Uppsala, Linnaeus met
7178-581: The two words bella and donna in the Italian language , meaning 'beautiful' and 'woman', respectively, originating either from its usage as a cosmetic to beautify pallid skin, or more probably, from its usage to increase the pupil size in women. Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants known, and its use by mouth increases risk in numerous clinical conditions, such as complications of pregnancy , cardiovascular diseases , gastrointestinal disorders , and psychiatric disorders , among others. All parts of
7275-509: The use of A. belladonna in its natural form for any condition is insufficient, although some of its components, in particular l - atropine , which was purified from belladonna in the 1830s, have accepted medical uses. Donnatal is a prescription pharmaceutical , that combines natural belladonna alkaloids in a specific, fixed ratio with phenobarbital to provide peripheral anticholinergic or antispasmodic action and mild sedation. Donnatal contains 0.0194 mg of atropine. According to
7372-455: The use of his library, which included many books about botany. He also gave the student free admission to his lectures. In his spare time, Linnaeus explored the flora of Skåne, together with students sharing the same interests. In August 1728, Linnaeus decided to attend Uppsala University on the advice of Rothman, who believed it would be a better choice if Linnaeus wanted to study both medicine and botany. Rothman based this recommendation on
7469-539: The way to Scania, he made his last visit to his brothers and sisters in Stenbrohult since his father had died the previous year. The expedition was similar to the previous journeys in most aspects, but this time he was also ordered to find the best place to grow walnut and Swedish whitebeam trees; these trees were used by the military to make rifles. While there, they also visited the Ramlösa mineral spa , where he remarked on
7566-471: The way, the pair stopped in Hamburg , where they met the mayor, who proudly showed them a supposed wonder of nature in his possession: the taxidermied remains of a seven-headed hydra . Linnaeus quickly discovered the specimen was a fake , cobbled together from the jaws and paws of weasels and the skins of snakes. The provenance of the hydra suggested to Linnaeus that it had been manufactured by monks to represent
7663-559: 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, North Africa and the United States. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic when ingested, containing tropane alkaloids . These toxins include atropine , scopolamine , and hyoscyamine , which cause delirium and hallucinations , and are also used as pharmaceutical anticholinergics . Tropane alkaloids are of common occurrence not only in
7760-477: The world to collect botanical samples. Linnaeus called the best of these students his "apostles". His lectures were normally very popular and were often held in the Botanical Garden. He tried to teach the students to think for themselves and not trust anybody, not even him. Even more popular than the lectures were the botanical excursions made every Saturday during summer, where Linnaeus and his students explored
7857-528: The æ ligature, both in handwritten documents and in publications. Carl's patronymic would have been Nilsson, as in Carl Nilsson Linnæus. Linnaeus's father began teaching him basic Latin, religion, and geography at an early age. When Linnaeus was seven, Nils decided to hire a tutor for him. The parents picked Johan Telander, a son of a local yeoman . Linnaeus did not like him, writing in his autobiography that Telander "was better calculated to extinguish
7954-433: Was zoological . Anders Celsius had created the temperature scale named after him in 1742. Celsius's scale was originally inverted compared to the way it is used today, with water boiling at 0 °C and freezing at 100 °C. Linnaeus was the one who inverted the scale to its present usage, in 1745. In the summer of 1746, Linnaeus was once again commissioned by the Government to carry out an expedition, this time to
8051-730: Was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature , the modern system of naming organisms. He is known as the "father of modern taxonomy ". Many of his writings were in Latin; his name is rendered in Latin as Carolus Linnæus and, after his 1761 ennoblement , as Carolus a Linné . Linnaeus was the son of a curate and was born in Råshult , in the countryside of Småland , southern Sweden . He received most of his higher education at Uppsala University and began giving lectures in botany there in 1730. He lived abroad between 1735 and 1738, where he studied and also published
8148-458: Was a regimen for treating alcoholism in the early 20th century. Belladonna has been used in herbal medicine for centuries as a pain reliever, muscle relaxer, and anti-inflammatory, and to treat menstrual problems, peptic ulcer disease, histaminic reaction, and motion sickness. At least one 19th-century eclectic medicine journal explained how to prepare a belladonna tincture for direct administration. In homeopathic practices, belladonna
8245-413: Was a region with limited biodiversity , Linnaeus described about 100 previously unidentified plants. These became the basis of his book Flora Lapponica . However, on the expedition to Lapland, Linnaeus used Latin names to describe organisms because he had not yet developed the binomial system. In Flora Lapponica Linnaeus's ideas about nomenclature and classification were first used in
8342-629: Was a serious subject. He taught Linnaeus to classify plants according to Tournefort's system. Linnaeus was also taught about the sexual reproduction of plants, according to Sébastien Vaillant . In 1727, Linnaeus, age 21, enrolled in Lund University in Skåne . He was registered as Carolus Linnæus , the Latin form of his full name, which he also used later for his Latin publications. Professor Kilian Stobæus , natural scientist, physician and historian, offered Linnaeus tutoring and lodging, as well as
8439-441: Was appointed Professor of Medicine at Uppsala University, first with responsibility for medicine-related matters. Soon, he changed place with the other Professor of Medicine, Nils Rosén, and thus was responsible for the Botanical Garden (which he would thoroughly reconstruct and expand), botany and natural history , instead. In October that same year, his wife and nine-month-old son followed him to live in Uppsala. Ten days after he
8536-482: Was appointed professor, he undertook an expedition to the island provinces of Öland and Gotland with six students from the university to look for plants useful in medicine. They stayed on Öland until 21 June, then sailed to Visby in Gotland. Linnaeus and the students stayed on Gotland for about a month, and then returned to Uppsala. During this expedition, they found 100 previously unrecorded plants. The observations from
8633-448: Was during this expedition that Linnaeus had a flash of insight regarding the classification of mammals. Upon observing the lower jawbone of a horse at the side of a road he was travelling, Linnaeus remarked: "If I only knew how many teeth and of what kind every animal had, how many teats and where they were placed, I should perhaps be able to work out a perfectly natural system for the arrangement of all quadrupeds." In 1734, Linnaeus led
8730-563: Was here that he wrote a book Hortus Cliffortianus , in the preface of which he described his experience as "the happiest time of my life". (A portion of Hartekamp was declared as public garden in April 1956 by the Heemstede local authority, and was named "Linnaeushof". It eventually became, as it is claimed, the biggest playground in Europe. ) In July 1736, Linnaeus travelled to England, at Clifford's expense. He went to London to visit Sir Hans Sloane,
8827-547: Was named Ingemarsson after his father Ingemar Bengtsson. When Nils was admitted to the University of Lund , he had to take on a family name. He adopted the Latinate name Linnæus after a giant linden tree (or lime tree), lind in Swedish, that grew on the family homestead. This name was spelled with the æ ligature . When Carl was born, he was named Carl Linnæus, with his father's family name. The son also always spelled it with
8924-420: Was one of the most acclaimed scientists in Europe. Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau sent him the message: "Tell him I know no greater man on Earth." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote: "With the exception of Shakespeare and Spinoza , I know no one among the no longer living who has influenced me more strongly." Swedish author August Strindberg wrote: "Linnaeus was in reality a poet who happened to become
9021-538: Was permitted to visit the mines. In April 1735, at the suggestion of Sohlberg's father, Linnaeus and Sohlberg set out for the Dutch Republic , where Linnaeus intended to study medicine at the University of Harderwijk while tutoring Sohlberg in exchange for an annual salary. At the time, it was common for Swedes to pursue doctoral degrees in the Netherlands , then a highly revered place to study natural history. On
9118-399: Was prescribed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann as a topical medication for inflammation and pain diluted to such an extent that none of the plant was actually present in the preparation. In the form of Doktor Koster's Antigaspills , belladonna was a homeopathic medication for upset stomach and excessive flatulence , again with no actual belladonna present in the medication. There
9215-605: Was reputed to cause blindness . In the United States, belladonna is marketed as a dietary supplement , typically as an atropine ingredient in over-the-counter cold medicine products. Although such cold medicine products are probably safe for oral use at typical atropine dosages (0.2 milligram), there is inadequate scientific evidence to assure their effectiveness. By FDA guidelines for supplements, there are no regulated manufacturing standards for cold medicines containing atropine, with some belladona supplements found to contain contaminants. Scientific evidence to recommend
9312-738: Was to divide the plants by the number of stamens and pistils . He began writing several books, which would later result in, for example, Genera Plantarum and Critica Botanica . He also produced a book on the plants grown in the Uppsala Botanical Garden , Adonis Uplandicus . Rudbeck's former assistant, Nils Rosén , returned to the University in March 1731 with a degree in medicine. Rosén started giving anatomy lectures and tried to take over Linnaeus's botany lectures, but Rudbeck prevented that. Until December, Rosén gave Linnaeus private tutoring in medicine. In December, Linnaeus had
9409-414: Was upset, he was given a flower, which immediately calmed him. Nils spent much time in his garden and often showed flowers to Linnaeus and told him their names. Soon Linnaeus was given his own patch of earth where he could grow plants. Carl's father was the first in his ancestry to adopt a permanent surname. Before that, ancestors had used the patronymic naming system of Scandinavian countries: his father
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