Moon

Moon-lily
Datura
Datura stramonium L.—Jimson-weed; thornapple; Jamestown weed
FAMILY: Solanaceae

DISTRIBUTION:
Jimson-weed occurs over the entire state, usually as an inhabitant of dry soil and waste places, dumps, abandoned fields, and in cultivated crops, especially soybeans and corn.

DESCRIPTION:
This is an annual plant, 1.5 m tall with a pungent, "heavy" scent, often branching in two equal forks; leaves: 2 x 1.5 dm, with a few teeth; calyx: strongly angled in cross section (prismatic) and narrowly 5-winged; petals: fused into a tube, white, opening in cloudy weather or evenings, 7-10 cm long; seed pod: 3-5 cm, ovoid, with prickles, opening by 4 valves.

TOXIC PARTS:
All parts are poisonous~ especially seeds and leaves. Lethal dosages for cattle may be 10-14 oz (0.06-0.09% of the animal's body weight). It is estimated that 4-5 g of leaf or seeds would be fatal to a child.

TOXICITY:
In the past several years Datura is one plant reported by the U.S. National Clearinghouse for Poison Control Centers as the cause of death. Overdose can occur from excessive ingestion of the herbal medicine Stramonium U.S.P., by accidental poisonings, or intentional ingestion for illicit drug use. Symptoms vary in time of appearance (a few minutes for decoctions to several hours for ingestion of seeds). They include intense thirst, visual disturbance, fushed skin, and central nervous system hyperirritability. Victims become delirious, incoherent, and perform insensible antics. Heart beat may be rapid with elevated temperature. Subjects may be prone to violence, hallucination, convulsions, coma, and death, Ingestion of small amounts produces symptoms; larger amounts, death. Symptoms in livestock approximate those in humans Postmortem: gross and histological lesions are nonspecific.

TOXIC PRINCIPLES:
Solanaceous (tropane) alkaloids including atropine, hyosayamine (isomeric with atropine), and hyoscine (scopolamine). Datura alkaloids are useful in medicine. Total content of alkaloids in a plant may be high, varying from 0.25-.0.7%. Concentration varies in different parts of the plant, during various stages of development, and under varied growing conditions. The alkaloids are fewer following a rainy period than during clear, dry weather, and concentration decreases during the day but increases at night.

TREATMENT:
Gastric lavage, emesis ; treat symptoms asw they appear, supportive therapy.Artificial respiration and oxygen: Paraldehyde(2-10 cc)IM.