Plant name: Datura stramonium
Synonyms: thorn apple, Jamestown weed, angel's trumpet
Active ingredients: atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine
Toxic parts of plant: all
Exposures may involve:
(1) seeds
(2) roots (brewed into a tea)
(3) leaves
Clinical findings:
(1) agitation
(2) visual, tactile and/or auditory hallucinations (which may involve insects)
(3) mydriasis, blurred vision and/or photophobia
(4) tachycardia
(5) dry mouth
(6) nausea and vomiting
(7) incoherence
(8) disorientation and confusion
(9) combativeness
(10) slurred speech
(11) urinary retention
(12) decreased bowel motility (which prolongs the absorption; associated with reduced bowel sounds)
(13) thirst
(14) difficulty swallowing
(15) hyperthermia
(16) seizures
(17) reduced level of consciousness, including coma
An excessive exposure can result in death.
The average seed contains 0.1 mg of atropine per seed. A lethal dose of atropine for an adult is around 10 mg (approximately 100 seeds). In the report from CDC persons presenting with serious intoxication had ingested from 30-50 seeds.
