Henbane Seed

Henbane Seed original: Langdangzi (莨菪子); Hyoscyamus niger. grows in coastal river valleys and within the Yongzhou region an ancient province covering parts of modern-day Shaanxi and Gansu; today, it can be found almost everywhere. The seedling stalks reach a height of two to three feet.

The leaves resemble those of Rehmannia original: Dihuang, Cowherb original: Wangbuliuxing, and Safflower original: Honglan, and are about three fingers wide. In the fourth month, it produces purple flowers. The seedlings, pods, and stems are all covered in fine white hairs. In the fifth month, it bears fruit enclosed in a shell resembling a poppy capsule original: Yingzi, referring to Papaver somniferum and shaped like a small pomegranate. Inside the chambers are very fine, greenish-white seeds that look like grains of rice. Another name for this plant is the Heavenly Fairy Seed original: Tianxianzi. The seeds should be harvested in the fifth month and dried in the shade.

I carefully note that the Divine Farmer’s Classic original: Benjing states that Henbane is "cold" in nature. However, later scholars frequently claim it is "extremely hot." Yet, the "Biography of Chunyu Yi" in the Records of the Grand Historian original: Shiji records that when the Consort of the King of Zichuan was pregnant but could not give birth, Yi administered a pinch of Henbane medicine mixed with wine. She delivered the child immediately. If the condition was one of obstructed labor, how could it be treated by a "hot" medicine? In traditional Chinese medicine, obstructed or difficult labor was often attributed to "heat" or stagnation that required "cooling" or "descending" medicines to resolve; the author uses this famous historical cure to prove the plant's "cold" nature.

It is also called Hengtang or Xingtang. It has a bitter and sweet taste, is cold in nature, and is toxic. It is used as a smudge burned as incense to treat tooth-worms original: Yachong; a historical term for dental caries/cavities based on the belief that small worms ate the teeth and is used as a wash to treat genital sweating original: Yinhan; likely referring to scrotal eczema or hyperhidrosis in the groin area.