RCP Garden podcast
Situated in the grounds of the Royal College of Physicians' headquarters near Regent's Park, London, the medicinal garden was extensively replanted in 2005 and features over 1,300 species of plant. The RCP garden of medicinal plants is unique in that almost every one has a link to medicine. Podcasts inspired by the RCP medicinal garden tell the stories behind the plants it contains and explore their connections with medicine. Presented by Professor Anthony Dayan, RCP garden fellow.
RCP Garden podcast
Thorn Apple; a dangerous plant with many names and magical uses
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Royal College of Physicians
The Thorn Apple, or Jimson’s Weed, Datura stramonium has at least 7 other names in English. Like many other members of the Solanaceae family it contains powerful chemicals that can disturb the mind and change the activity of many systems in the body. Historically there are many instances in which its actions were exploited for medical and even political purposes but it is now considered too dangerous and has been replaced by safer drugs. It was even something witches took before flying.