Treatment of sickness in pioneer days

[Eva Elisabeth]

Wow, the "lowly tomato"- who knew?!

Tomatoes like potatoes, pepper, and eggplants are nightshades, solanaceae, which are all known for containing a variety of alkaloids that can be more or less active or poisonous. Alkaloids can be desirable as well, and many have invaluable pharmaceutical properties.
Psychotropic solanaceae are tobacco, atropia belladonna (used to dilate pupils), physalis, hyoscyamus niger, datura, mandrake, and brugmansia.