Black Popadiyka

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Black popadiyka / Hyoscyamus niger / is a biennial herbaceous plant of the potato family. The plant is also known by many other names: baba sharka, belenika, belen, blyan, blenika, bunika, buniche, pot, toothed licorice, pishi-bread, poludyavka, black blyan and others.

The black popadika has a thick, spindle-shaped root. The stem of the herb is cylindrical, reaching 1 m in height, erect, simple or branched, covered with hairs, sticky. Rosette leaves are soft, oblong-ovate, pointed, with large teeth and long stalks. Stem leaves are consistent, semi-sessile, large, deeply incised, covered with hairs, sticky.

The flowers of the black butterbur are large, almost sessile in the axils of the upper leaves. Calyx petal-shaped, fused, glandular-hairy, yellowish, with purple veins. The real fruit of the black poppy is a dry box that remains hidden at the bottom of the leathery prickly cup. The seeds of the plant are numerous, bean-shaped, gray and rough.

The black poppy blooms from July to August. It is found in weedy places and manures and as a weed. Apart from Bulgaria, the plant is distributed in Europe, Asia, Russia, Asia Minor, Iran, North America, China and others.

History of a black popadika

The ancients believed that through hallucinogenic herbs one can see the future. Some of these herbs, in addition to causing hallucinations, have a calming effect on an agitated person. Black feverfew is just such an herb, although this plant is also very poisonous.

In Shakespeare's play "Hamlet", at the beginning of the play, the young Prince Hamlet sees someone (later it becomes clear that this is his own uncle) pour poison into the ear of his sleeping father - the elderly King Hamlet. In the Bulgarian translation of the play, the poison is described as "a glass filled with licorice juice, causing leprosy". In the original text, however, Shakespeare called the poison "juice of hebenon." Translated from English "henbane" means black dream or black popadiyka.

Composition of black popadika

All parts of the black popadika they contain alkaloids, with hyoscyamine and atropine being the most common, and only traces of scopolamine found. The leaves of the plant contain choline, rutin and essential oil. The stems of black butterbur also contain a significant amount of tannins. The seeds contain atroscin, a fatty oil that contains myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. They also contain hyoscipicrin and tannins.

Growing black popadika

The black popadika grows well on all soils, even dry, but it is most favorably affected by fertilized chernozem soils. The plant is relatively easy to propagate by seeds, and the ideal temperature for sowing is 20 degrees. From May to June is the right time to sow the seeds. The finished seedlings are planted in rows, the distance between which should be 60-90 cm. The black seedling is largely endangered by the same pests to which potatoes and tomatoes are sensitive.

Collection and storage of black popadika

The leaves of are used the black popadika / Folia Hyoscyami /, harvested from July to August. Only the developed leaves are collected in dry weather when the rosette is formed. Tear off up to 5 cm and part of the leaf stalk or stem leaves in the flowering phase of the herb. Only healthy, insect-free and spotless leaves are harvested. The collected material is carefully placed, without crowding, in baskets or baskets, because otherwise the leaves are boiled and turn black when dried.

The plants should not be picked by people with wounds on their hands or by small children. The collected material should not be mixed with a tattoo that has white colors. The torn leaves are cleaned of damaged and accidental impurities found during picking. The dried material is spread in a thin layer on frames or mats. It is preferable, however, to dry in an oven at a temperature of up to 40 degrees, thus obtaining the highest quality drug.

In the process of drying the leaves should be turned. It is important to dry the middle vein well, as it dries more slowly. If you are going to dry larger quantities of drugs, it is best to cut them in bulk in advance. As the drug is poisonous, you should wash your hands thoroughly after handling it. From 8 kg of fresh leaves 1 kg of dry leaves is obtained.

The dried stem and rosette leaves of the black popadika are oblong in shape, deeply cut, large, with pointed lobes and various sizes, gray-green, covered with hairs, with a flat whitish vein extended to its base. The lateral veins protrude from the main at almost a right angle. Rosette leaves have whitish rounded stalks, which in the drug should not be longer than 5 cm.

The smell of dried black pepper leaves is faint, unpleasant, narcotic, intensified when flooded with boiling water. The taste of the herb is salty-bitter. Dried drugs should be stored carefully in dry and ventilated rooms, separate from non-toxic herbs in well-prepared packaging and protected from light.

Benefits of black popadika

The black popadika has antispasmodic, analgesic and anti-asthmatic action. It is widely used as a sedative and analgesic and is used specifically to treat pain affecting the urinary tract, especially in kidney stones.

The antispasmodic action of the herb makes it valuable for treating the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, relieving tremor and resilience during the early stages of the disease.

Black fever is also used to treat asthma, whooping cough, seasickness, Meniere's syndrome, shortness of breath, headache, senile tremor, hysteria, gastric and duodenal ulcers, painful spasms of the intestines, cervix and more.

This type is considered the most suitable for outdoor use. Externally, the herb is used as an oil to relieve painful conditions such as neuralgia, dental and rheumatic pain. It is also used to eliminate irritability in alcoholics after abdominal surgery, as well as in bronchial asthma, peptic ulcer disease, to suppress sexual arousal.

Folk medicine with black popadika

Bulgarian folk medicine recommends black popadiyka with excessive sweating, stomach and intestinal pain, meningitis, whooping cough, paralysis, senile tremors and insomnia.

Externally, the herb can be used for gnawing in toothache: Extract of the leaves in strong brandy in a ratio of 1:10 is used for rubbing in neuralgia, rheumatism and gout. For this purpose, it can be applied with fresh green leaves of daydream, cooked together with cabbage leaves in equal proportions.

The dried leaves of the dream in the form of cigarettes are smoked against pimples on the gums, and in combination with dried leaves of tatul, licorice and lemon balm - for shortness of breath of asthmatic or inflammatory origin.

Decoction of black popadia can be prepared by soaking the leaves of the herb for one hour in 0.5 liters of boiling water. Strain the liquid and drink 1 tablespoon before meals 3 times a day.

Harm from black popadika

All parts of the plant are highly toxic. Black poppy poisoning occurs most often when using the seeds, less often - when consuming the roots and leaves of the plant. Symptoms of poisoning include dilated pupils, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, dry reddened skin, rapid heartbeat, central nervous system depression.

Black fever should only be used under the supervision of a medical professional. In case of poisoning, gastric lavage is performed and a tannin solution or suspension of medical charcoal is introduced by probe. The injured person must be taken to a medical facility immediately.