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Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities,
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Bekah
Like many poisons, they can be hallucinogens or remedies in very small doses. As such, belladonna can act as an anesthetic or anti-inflammatory when properly dosed. This seems odd at first, but that just goes to show Claire knew her plants!
BonnieReads
Yes! Lily of the valley contains cardiac glycosides, which like the drug digoxin, inhibit the sodium-potassium ATPase of cardiomyocytes. The only antidote is digoxin Fab fragments, which were not developed until 1976. Belladonna contains anticholinergic compounds, such as atropine, in sufficient quantities to cause life-threatening anticholinergic toxicity. So Belladonna is not an antidote for Lily of the valley, it's just another poison.
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