DATURA METEL

Common name: Sacred Datura, Hairy thorn-apple, Sacred thorn apple

Botanical name: Datura wrightii   

Family: Solanaceae (Potato family)

Synonyms: Datura meteloides

Geographical distribution

It occurs in waste places and fields throughout India and also cultivated in some places.

Introduction: Sacred Datura is a vigorous plant that grows 1-5 ft tall and wide. The leaves are broad and rounded at the base, tapering to a point, often with wavy margins. The flowers are the most striking feature, being sweetly fragrant white trumpets up to 20 cm (8 inches) long, often tinted purple, especially at the margin. There are five narrow points spaced symmetrically around the rim. In clear weather, flowers open at nearly full dark and wither a few hours after sunrise the following morning; in cloudy weather, they may open earlier and last longer. The seeds are borne in a spiny, globular capsule 3-4 cm in diameter, which opens when fully ripe. Sacred Datura is considered a sacred plant that has been used in sacred ceremonies and rites of passage by Chumash, Tongva, and other tribes. Among the Chumash, when a boy was 8 years old, his mother gave him a preparation of momoy to drink. This was supposed to be a spiritual challenge to the boy to help him develop the spiritual wellbeing that is required to become a man.

Chemical composition

The leaves, roots and seeds of the plant contain alkaloids, hyoscyamine, hyoscine, atropine and principal alkaloid sespslamine. Seeds contain a fixed oil and alkaloids.

Therapeutic uses

The leaves are antispasmodic, anodynous and narcotic. The seeds are astringent, antispasmodic, narcotic, anodynous, powerfully intoxicating, aphrodisiac, bitter, carminative and stomachic, however they are chiefly used locally, their paste is used on decaying teeth, piles, fistula, tumours, abscesses, urticaria and parasitic skin diseases.

Folk medicinal uses

The dried leaves and stems are smoked as an antispasmodic in asthma, whooping cough and bronchitis, at first 10-12 gm. are smoked, this quantity is gradually increased to 30 gm; when the smoking of leaves is ineffective dried seeds are smoked; an inhalation of the smoke from burning leaves is similarly used. The juice of the fruits is used in dressing for the scalp to check dandruff and falling of the hairs; their paste made with turmeric is applied to inflamed breasts.

Preparations

Kanak-asav, dhatturphalvasma, dhatturadi-pralep, dugdha-vati and laghu-visgarvataila.

Flowering: April-October.