Ancient Natural Painkillers

Henbane

Like some other herbs and flowers used for medicinal purposes, Hyoscyamus niger, which is better known as henbane, can have psychotropic effects. Even so, it’s been used as an anesthetic since ancient times. Like other Hyoscyamus species, henbane contains both atropine (a poison found in plants of the nightshade family that is used as a muscle relaxant) and scopolamine (a poisonous alkaloid used to prevent vomiting, calm individuals, or induce sleep).