Datura is referred to in ancient Indian literature as `shivashehhera`, because the flowers are thought to be related to Lord Shiva. It was recognized by the ancient Hindu physicians. They considered the drug as an intoxicant, with vomitive, digestive and healing powers. Smoking of datura seeds as a cure for asthma was known during the Vedic period.

Datura is native to India. The plant grows in temperate Himalayas, upto 2500 metres and in the hilly belts of Central and Southern India.

Methods of usage
Datura holds vast healing properties, ranging from treating asthma, malaria, cardiac disorders, to baldness, impotency and breast-milk secretion.

Healing Power and Medicinal Properties of datura
The dried leaves and seeds of datura are used in British and United States pharmacopoeia as antispasmodic, under critical conditions of asthma and whooping cough. Datura possesses properties equivalent to those of belladonna. It counterchecks convulsive disorders and causes deep sleep.

Asthma cured by datura
Datura is very handy in asthma, when the fume from the combusting leaves is inhaled. The leaves rolled into cigarettes can be smoked to alleviate asthmatic bouts.

Malaria healed by datura
Datura fruit is a precise cure for phlegmatic and bilious types of malarial fever. A needed amount of the fruit should be placed in an earthen pot and covered with a plaster made from cloth and clay. It should be seared in 10 to 12 grams of cow-dung cakes. When the fire gets doused and the pot turns cold, the burnt fruit should be removed, mashed and preserved safely in a phial for usage in malarial fever.

Heart Disorders healed by datura
The herb is an imperative medication for heart disorders. It alleviates cardiac pains, anguish, palpitation and aortic disturbances.

Ear-ache cured by datura
Leaves of datura are useful in treating earache. Approximately 125 grams each of the juice of datura leaves and sesame oil should be boiled in a tin vessel on gentle fire. When half of the juice has vaporised, seven leaves of gigantic swallow wort (Mi) should be put in it after smudging them with oil and splashing with powdered salt. The leaves should be boiled till they begin to singe. This oil is then strained through a rough cloth and preserved in a bottle. Little drops of this oil is an appropriate ear cure for earache and supportive conditions of the ear.

Impotency healed by datura
Datura is useful in impotency. The seeds of 15 matured fruits should be pulled out and boiled in 8 kilogrammes of cow`s milk on soft fire. This milk should then be made into curd in the customary way and whipped the next morning to distil butter which is stored in a broad-mouthed bottle. This butter, massaged every morning and evening on the penis and the spine, will furnish the coveted effect. It is also used as an oral curative. Four grains with betel leaf can also be consumed. The uses of this butter both externally and internally in this way will steadily boost health and dynamism and regenerate supreme fitness in the body.

Baldness healed by datura
A concoction made from datura seeds with other components is functional in irregular baldness. A paste made with datura seeds, liquorice, saffron and milk cream is heated in coconut oil exhaustively, till the solid mass changes into a blackened powder. The oil when applied on bald patches has the power to motivate hair growth. Datura being poisonous, one should wash their hands carefully after handling the oil. It is advised not to use this concoction on the scalp of children.

Problem of Breast Milk Secretion cured by datura
The herb is extremely worthy in arresting secretion of breast milk. In case of an ill-fated death of a new-born, accumulation of milk in the breasts of the mother presents a problem, inducing terrible pain. In such a case, warmed leaves of the datura tied on the breasts will help dry the milk without any sting and complexity. Just 2 or 3 applications will demonstrate required results.

Precautions - The standard dosage of datura is around 2 decigrams. When taken in large dosages, it may lead to dilation of the pupils and aridity of the mouth and throat.

Composition
Datura is a thick plant growing upto 1 metre in height. It has enormous egg-shaped leaves, exceedingly big white flowers and egg-shaped fruits, covered with spines. The dried leaves, tip portion of the flower and seeds of the plant make up the drug.

The leaves of the plant contain alkaloids. The cultivated plants produce higher percentage of alkaloids. The seeds yield deploid I and tetraploid II in addition to alkaloids. Some amount of alkaloids are also present in dried seeds and fruits.