Scopolia carniolica
Scopolia carniolica (henbane bell, russian belladonna) is a poisonous decorative plant that is used in official and folk medicine.
It blossoms in May-June, the roots are used in medicine.
Scopolia carniolica was first described by the botanist Carl Linnaeus and named in honour of the physician Giovanni Antonio Scopoli as Hyoscyamus scopolia. The specific name carniolica signifies ‘of Carniola’, a historical region that comprised parts of modern-day Slovenia.
Medicinally Scopolia has a sedative effect and is used by surgeons to anaesthetise patients. It is the symbol of the Sloven Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine. This plant is also used during childbirth to relieve pain, fight parkinsonism and to widen the pupil of the eye in ophtalmology.
Scopolia is used in the so called “truth serum”.The modern idea of a drug that could ensure someone is telling the truth originated with a doctor named Robert House in 1916. He injected the mother with scopolamine as a pain killer putting her into a state of “twilight sleep.” After the baby was born House asked the father to bring scales to weigh the baby, but the father didn’t know where they were located. His wife, apparently still asleep, however, spoke up and named the exact place, where the scales were. After that police and spies used the alcaloid scopolamine to extract true information from other spies and prisoners. Now officially this truth serum is forbidden to use.