Black nightshade

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Black nightshade

Definition:

Poisoning caused by consumption of plant material from the black nightshade plant.

Alternative Names:

Common nightshade; Morelle noire; Wonderberry

Poisonous Ingredient:

solanine (very toxic even in small quantities)
atropine

Where Found:

black nightshade

The toxin is found throughout the plant but especially in the unripened fruit and leaves.

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms:

body as a whole
- lower than normal body temperature
- paralysis
- shock
- fever
- sweating
respiratory
- slowed breathing
eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- dilated pupils
gastrointestinal
- stomach pain
- vomiting
- diarrhea
heart and blood vessels
- pulse - slow or rapid
nervous system
- headache
- delirium
- loss of sensation
- hallucinations

Home Treatment:

Call Poison Control.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
the name of the plant and the parts eaten
the time it was swallowed
the amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Bring the plant with you to the emergency room for identification.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

Induce vomiting.
Use gastric lavage.
Administer activated charcoal.
Treat the symptoms.
Monitor pulse and blood pressure.

Expectations (prognosis):

Death has been reported from ingesting nightshade, but this is rare.

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