Historical story

Giusquiamo, a Widespread and Toxic Sedative of the Past

Giusquiamo, ragwort used as a sedative until the early 1900s

The use of sedatives, more or less effective, to calm psychotic crises , has been known since ancient times.

Among the most widely used we find the henbane.

It is a herb which, in the past, was widely used to calm the manic delirium.

Too bad it was actually highly toxic to patients.

The sedative action of this plant was due to its active ingredient, called hyoscine or scopolamine, remedy of choice for "mental illnesses" until the early 1900s, when it was replaced by more modern and less dangerous medicines.