Deadly Nightshade (English text on print)

Deadly Nightshade, Atropa belladonna, is a plant with highly poisonous berries. In ancient Rome, women would drip its juice into their eyes, which would lead to the iris of the eye getting paralyzed and the pupil to enlarge. This would give them a more alluring gaze, giving rise to its other name, 'Belladonna', which means beautiful woman in Italian. In addition, deadly nightshade was used as part of witches' flying ointments in the Middle Ages. 

Medicinally, it was used for its anesthetic and relaxing properties, but its use has declined due to its high toxicity and dangerous side effects. Linnaeus called the plant Atropa, which is a reference to one of the three goddesses of fate, the Daughters of the Night, in Greek mythology. Atropos, or the inevitable, is the one of the goddesses of fate who cuts the thread of life. The seeds and leaves of deadly nightshade contain substances such as atropine and scopolamine, which can be fatal in high doses.