Though not the most frequently used botanical family, the Solanaceae or nightshade family has provided many plants of great importance around the world. Throughout Europe, the “hexing herbs,” plants from this family with anticholinergic alkaloids, have played an especially important role in the history and formation of traditions pertaining to plant use in many aspects of human life. Represented in Europe by the genera Atropa, Datura, Hyoscyamus, Mandragora, and Scopolia, the alkaloids hyoscyamine/atropine and scopolamine in these plants have allowed them to be used as medicines, poisons, and intoxicants, leading to the creation of a large mythos and extensive cultural valuation. Through a review of the literature, the exact roles that these “hexing herbs” have played in Europe in the past and present are discussed in this paper, ultimately showing the immense importance of these often misunderstood and vilified plants.

茄科或茄科虽然不是最常用的植物科，但在世界范围内却提供了许多重要植物。在整个欧洲，来自该家族的具有抗胆碱能生物碱的“合兴草药”在人类生活的许多方面，在与植物使用有关的传统的历史和形成中发挥了特别重要的作用。在欧洲由Atropa，Datura，Hyoscyamus，Mandragora和Scopolia属表示，这些植物中的生物碱hyscycyamine /阿托品和东sco碱已使它们可用作药物，毒药和麻醉剂，从而产生了广泛的神话和广泛的文化价值。通过对文献的回顾，本文讨论了这些“合兴草药”在欧洲过去和现在所扮演的确切角色，最终表明了这些经常被误解和破坏的植物的巨大重要性。