‖ Datura Bot.
(dəˈt(j)ʊərə)
[mod.L. ad. Hindī dhatūra, native name of D. fastuosa and D. Metel, common Indian species used to stupefy and poison.]
A genus of poisonous plants (family Solanaceæ), of which D. Stramonium is the Strammony or Thorn-apple, supposed to be a native of Western Asia, but now half naturalized over the warmer temperate regions of the world; it is a powerful narcotic.
| 1662 J. Davies tr. Mandelslo's Trav. 104 A drug which..stupefies his senses..The Indians call this herb Doutro, Doutry, or Datura, and the Turks and Persians, Datula. 1862 Beveridge Hist. India II. iv. iv. 126 From Hindoos was first learned..the benefit of smoking datura in asthma. |
| attrib. 1883 Century Mag. XXVII. 205 Large white datura blossoms. |
Hence
daˈturine (also
daˈturia), the poisonous alkaloid found in the Thorn-apple and other species;
= atropine.
| 1832 R. Christison Poisons (ed. 2) 726 A peculiar alkaloid, which has been named Daturine or Daturia. |