Witches’ flying ointment – Part 2
Following on from my last post in June, we are going to look at how the toxic plants are getting along which I’ve been growing all year and which are going to form the ingredients for our Witches’ Flying Ointment which we will be making in the next episode in December. Belladonna flower in August, with thistledown Deadly Nightshade (Belladonna atropica) Active ingredients: Tropane alkaloids such as hyoscyamine, atropine and scopolamine Desired effects: Nerve blocking effects including numbness and paralysis, sedation, drying up of secretions such as mucus or saliva, altered states of consciousness Undesired effects: Hallucinations; death due to respiratory muscle paralysis and/or cardiac arrhythmias (Deadly Nightshade does what it says on the tin). Despite its fearsome reputation as one of the most toxic plants in the UK, Belladonna is surprisingly delicate and hard to cultivate, particularly in cool, wet and windy climates like the Isle of Man. It is particularly vulnera...