Jimsonweed is a very interesting annual that has white funnel-shaped blossoms, dark green leaves and a prickly fruit. In the past, it was cultivated in Europe as a decorative plant. All its parts are extremely poisonous. Probably jimsonweed originates from Asia but, nowadays, it is also widespread in many countries in America and all over Europe thanks to the wandering gypsies, who always carried jimsonweed seeds with them to defraud their credulous clients. The plant can often be seen in the fields and weed-grown gardens now. 

Its poisoning effect has been well known for many centuries. That is why jimsonweed was named “the herb of poisoners”.

Datura stramonium

In the Middle Ages, it was very popular among professional murderers who used to add parts of the plant with the victim’s food or wine and achieved an immediate poisoning effect, followed by death. The affected person develops symptoms similar to those caused by belladonna because of the identical chemical components in both herbs. 

Copyright © Thomas Schöpke, http://www.plant-pictures.com

Jimsonweed was first used for medical purposes in 1762 for the treatment of epilepsy and psychoses by the Austrian physician A. von Ströck. Nowadays leaves and seeds of jimsonweed are used as a source of some alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine etc. in the pharmaceutical industry. The medical application of the drugs based on these substances aims to relieve pain in different conditions. Jimsonweed-based medicines are also useful to treat of neurological and psychiatric diseases.