Plant
Henbane
Picture to come.
A sticky, foul-smelling plant with pale veined flowers, found on disturbed ground. It is highly poisonous. Henbane was known in Anglo-Saxon England, and medieval physicians used it as a sleep-inducing and pain-dulling drug; later medieval surgeons included it in 'dwale', a dangerous sleeping draught given before operations. Poisoning was a real risk.
Caveats (confidence: medium)
Dwale is documented mainly in later medieval sources; 12th-century use is inferred.
Sources: housecapuchin.wordpress.com · canterbury-archaeology.org.uk
Made by
- Forage