Photo: Swallowtail Garden Seeds from Santa Rosa, California, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Dhattura धत्तूर
Datura metel · Solanaceae
Also known as: Kanaka, Datura, Thorn Apple, Dhatura Beej
Part used: Seed, leaf
Dhattura (Datura metel) is a poisonous plant used in Ayurveda only after rigorous purification and in very small doses. Classified among the Upavisha — the sub-poisons — it is used externally for pain and internally in tiny quantities for asthma and spasm. It is dangerous outside licensed preparations.
| Rasa (taste) | Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent) |
|---|---|
| Guna (qualities) | Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry) |
| Virya (potency) | Ushna (Hot) |
| Vipaka | Katu (Pungent) |
| Dosha | Balances Kapha & Vata |
| Prabhava | Classical systemic action |
Key takeaways
- Botanical name: Datura metel
- Part used: Seed, leaf
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Only purified Dhattura in minute doses within physician-prescribed formulas; leaf/oil externally for pain.
Dhattura in other languages
Introduction
Dhattura (Datura metel), or thorn apple, is a powerful, toxic plant used in classical Ayurveda only after careful purification and in tiny, controlled doses — chiefly externally for pain, spasm and skin, and in formulas like Kanakasava.
Classification
Of the Solanaceae family, Dhattura is a potent Vata-Kapha-pacifying, antispasmodic and analgesic dravya. It is one of the Upavisha (semi-poisonous) substances, requiring purification (Shodhana) before use.
Uses & benefits
Dhattura is a Schedule E1 poisonous drug used only after Shodhana and only under a physician's direction. Its classical uses are external — as a paste or oil for pain, spasm and skin disease — and in carefully measured internal doses for asthma and severe pain. It is never self-medicated.
Dhattura for joint pain
The leaf warmed and applied over a painful joint is its commonest and safest use — external, local, and effective in Vata pain.
Dhattura for asthma
Classically used in Shwasa. Its anticholinergic action relaxes airway spasm, and it was the basis of the old asthma cigarettes.
Dhattura for muscle spasm
Applied externally as an oil for cramping and spastic muscle conditions.
Dhattura for hair
The leaf juice is traditionally applied to the scalp in dandruff and hair loss.
Dhattura for swellings
The leaf poultice is applied to boils, abscesses and painful lumps.
Dhattura for toothache
A traditional local application, though safer alternatives such as Lavanga are generally preferred.
Dhattura in Upavisha
One of the classified sub-poisons, requiring Shodhana before any internal use — a formal category, not a caution.
Dhattura for skin parasites
Used externally in scabies and similar conditions.
Dhattura in classical formulations
Present in Kanakasava and several respiratory and pain preparations, always at tightly controlled dose.
Dhattura for piles
The leaf is applied locally for painful haemorrhoids.
Dosage — how much to take
Only purified Dhattura in minute doses within physician-prescribed formulas; leaf/oil externally for pain. Strictly under supervision.
Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm with a qualified Vaidya.
Traditional uses — questions answered from the classical texts
Answers are drawn from the citations and properties recorded for this drug. No chapter-and-verse reference appears that the record does not carry.
Which classical texts describe Dhattura?
The citations held for Dhattura in this catalogue are: Bhaishajya Ratnavali (Kanakasava).
What does the Bhaishajya Ratnavali record about Dhattura?
Used in the classical respiratory formula. Reference: Bhaishajya Ratnavali — Kanakasava.
What is Dhattura traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Dhattura is a Schedule E1 poisonous drug used only after Shodhana and only under a physician's direction. Its classical uses are external — as a paste or oil for pain, spasm and skin disease — and in carefully measured internal doses for asthma and severe pain. It is never self-medicated.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Dhattura?
Rasa Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent), Guna Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Virya Ushna (Hot), Vipaka Katu (Pungent). Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata. Prabhava: Classical systemic action.
Why is Dhattura classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Dhattura carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Dhattura is used medicinally?
The part used is Seed, leaf.
How much Dhattura is taken, and how?
Only purified Dhattura in minute doses within physician-prescribed formulas; leaf/oil externally for pain. Strictly under supervision. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Dhattura be avoided?
TOXIC. Used only after classical purification, in minute supervised doses, mainly externally. Never self-administer. Keep away from children.
Where does Dhattura grow?
Dhattura is a coarse annual of waste ground and roadsides across India, bearing large trumpet flowers and spiny fruit.
Classical references
- Rasa Tarangini — Upavisha Shodhana
Describes purification and controlled use. - Bhaishajya Ratnavali — Kanakasava
Used in the classical respiratory formula.
Modern research
-
Ethnobotanical uses and phytochemical, biological, and toxicological profiles of Datura metel L.: A review
(see source). Toxicology Reports (2023)
A review of Datura metel (Dhattura) documenting its analgesic, antispasmodic and antimicrobial actions alongside its tropane-alkaloid toxicity, underscoring supervised use only.
View study doi:10.1016/j.crtox.2023.100106
Safety & precautions
TOXIC. Used only after classical purification, in minute supervised doses, mainly externally. Never self-administer. Keep away from children.
Where it grows
Dhattura is a coarse annual of waste ground and roadsides across India, bearing large trumpet flowers and spiny fruit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dhattura poisonous?
Yes. Datura is genuinely toxic — it causes hallucination, delirium, racing heart, high fever and death in overdose, and poisonings are reported every year in India. Ayurveda classes it among the Upavisha and requires purification and minute dosing before any internal use.
How is Dhattura used safely?
Only as purified material inside a licensed preparation, at the dose a physician sets. Its safest use is external — the warmed leaf applied over a painful joint. Never prepare it at home and never take it loose.
What is Dhattura used for?
Externally for joint pain, muscle spasm, swellings and skin parasites. Internally, in tiny purified doses within compounds, for asthma and spasmodic conditions. It appears in Kanakasava among the classical respiratory preparations.
What are the symptoms of Datura poisoning?
Dry mouth, dilated pupils, blurred vision, flushed hot skin, racing pulse, confusion, agitation and hallucination. It is a medical emergency — go to hospital immediately. Children are affected by very small amounts.
Why is a poisonous plant used as medicine?
Because purification and dose control turn a poison into a drug — the same principle behind many conventional medicines. Ayurveda formalises this in the Shodhana process, and the resulting preparations are made under licence, not at home.
Can I grow Dhattura at home?
It grows wild across India and is often found in gardens, but keep children away from it. The seeds are the most toxic part and are the usual cause of accidental poisoning. Do not use garden plants medicinally.
What is Dhattura called in Hindi?
Dhatura. In English it is thorn apple, devil's trumpet or metel. It is offered to Shiva in temple worship, which is why it grows near many temples.
