Henbane Baby Onesie

In the Middle Ages, henbane was widely used in Germany to augment the inebriating qualities of beer. The names of many German towns originate from the word Bilsen--henbane. Later on, the word was transformed to Pilsen to name the famous Pilsen beer. It took many years to prohibit the use of henbane in brewing after numerous cases of poisonings.

Henbane was much used as a medicine in former times. Mrs Grieve reports that it was so widely used even fairly recently that it was deliberately grown for the medicinal market because collection from the wild could not meet the demand. The active ingredients are extracted from the leaves and flowering tops, both collected during the flowering period, and occasionally from the fruits. The ancient Greeks believed that people under the influence of the herb became prophetic, and the priestesses of the Oracle of Delphi are claimed to have inhaled the smoke from smouldering henbane.

All parts of the plant are highly toxic, the le...

Eric Edelman is a collagist and found-object sculptor. His work has been featured in one-person shows and group exhibitions in museums and private galleries, and.is represented in several private and institutional collections. Edelman's collages and other work have appeared in The New York Review of Books and in the books The Art of the Miniature and Genius in a Bottle, as well as the monograph “Eric Edelman Collages the Unconscious.“ Click HERE for the Art of RetroCollage blog, about art, collage, creativity, and inspiration, featuring Eric Edelman's most recent artwork. Click HERE to subscribe to Art of RetroCollage and receive email updates about new artwork and subscriber offers.