It has two varieties:
- Datura alba (Safe Datura)
- Datura nigra (Kala Datura)
Identification
The plant grows upto height of 2-3 meters, has green leaves, bell shaped flower and lobular thorny fruit.
Active Principle
Hyocin, Hyoscyamin and Daturine
Uses
- As a relaxant
- Anti-spasmodic
- Reduces secretion
- As Belladonna plaster
Medico-legal Importance
- Suicidal
- Homicidal
- Accidental: In children due to attractive colour
- Mixed with country liquors
- Stupefaction
Fatal Dose: 100-120 seeds
Fatal Period: 24 hours
Signs and Symptoms
- Hot as a hare
- Dry has a bone
- Red as a beet
- Blind as a bat
- Mad as a wet hen
Symptoms appear within ½ an hour and are divided into Stage of Delirium and Stage of coma.
These are as follows:
- Vomiting immediately after intake.
- Dryness of mouth and throat.
- Burning sensation in stomach.
- Dysphagia.
- Giddiness and staggering gait.
- Flushed skin especially face.
- Dry hot skin.
- Total suppression of secretion.
- Dilated pupils with photophobia, loss of accommodation reflex and near vision.
- Retention of urine.
- Drowsiness.
- Exfoliative dermatitis.
- Full bounding pulse.
- Delirium, muttering and indistinct.
- Tries to run away from bed.
- Tries to pull out threads from finger tips.
- Visual and auditory hallucination.
- Finally coma and death.
Treatment
- Stomach wash should be done with KMNO4.
- Strong tea as an antidote.
- Artificial O2.
- Diuretics and purgatives are administered for the elimination of poisons.
Post-mortem Findings
- Presence of broken seeds in the stomach.
- Grossly congested viscera.
- Wide dilatation of pupils.
- Externally, marked hypostasis and lividity.
Reference: A Handbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by Dr Madona Joseph & Dr Harpreet Kaur
