Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/459

 NIGHTSHADE NIKKO 445 great pressure upon the chest accompanied by inability to move. It is well known that un- easy or painful sensations occurring during sleep, when insufficient to wake the patient directly, are apt to produce disagreeable or frightful dreams. Thus persons laboring under a variety of chronic affections, particularly heart disease, upon falling asleep suffer from dreadful illusions ; they are attacked by wild beasts or armed men, they are falling down precipices, &c. The same phenomenon often occurs during fever or after mental excitement attended with anxiety. The more common form of nightmare usually comes on during the first sleep, and is caused by a constrained position or by a distended stomach, which act by somewhat impeding respiration. The feeling of oppression thus caused gives rise to the nightmare, and is dispelled at once when the patient awakes, and, bringing the volun- tary muscles into play, draws a full breath. NIGHTSHADE (Ang. Sax. niht-scada), a name applied to several plants, but especially to solarium, nigrum, the common or black night- shade. This is a much-branched, spreading Common Nightshade (Solanum nigrum). annual herb, 1 to 2 ft. high, with angled stems, and stalked, ovate leaves, which have coarse angular teeth ; the small white flowers are in lateral and umbel-like clusters, and succeeded by globular berries, green at first, but black when ripe ; it blooms from July to September, and may usually be found with flowers and ripe fruit upon the same plant. This homely introduced weed is quite common in fields in the older parts of the country, and often met with in the shady places around dwellings and in waste grounds near villages. It is so readily exterminated that it can hardly rank as a troublesome weed. The plant has a bad reputation, though the evidence as to its poi- sonous qualities is very conflicting ; it is stated that children have died soon after eating the berries with all the symptoms of narcotic poi- soning, while on the other hand the berries are said to be used in some countries as food. It is possible that this difference may be due to soil and climate, as the plant varies so much in the color, of its berries and other characters that it has been described under some 40 different names. The dried foliage seems to act upon the secretions, and in doses of one or two grains has been used for diseases of the skin. The alkaloid solania or solanine was first discovered in this plant, but was afterward found in the foliage of other species of sola- tium, including the potato (S. tuberosum). A grain of this alkaloid killed a rabbit in six hours. The plant is of a sufficiently suspicious character to make its extermination desirable. Deadly nightshade is atropa belladonna. (See BELLADONNA.) Climbing or woody nightshade, or bittersweet, is solanum dulcamara. (See SOLANUM.) Enchanter's nightshade is Circ&a Lutetiana, which, though bearing the name of Circe, and formerly used in the mysteries of witchcraft, is a very innocent plant of the evening primrose family. Three-leaved night- shade is one of the common names for species of the genus trillium. (See TRILLIUM.) NIGRITIA. See SOODAN. NI1GATA, a seaport on the W. coast of the main island of Japan, in the province of Echigo, on the S. bank of the Shinano river, opposite Sado island, capital of the Jcen or pre- fecture of the same name ; pop. about 60,000. It is the place of greatest mercantile importance on the W. coast of the main island, but the existence of a long and dangerous bar at the mouth of the river renders it nearly useless for any but junks and vessels of light draught. Inside, the water is 15 or 20 ft. deep. The city is neatly laid out ; the streets are levelled, paved with gravel, well drained, cleaned, and lighted with the coal oil obtained in the neigh- borhood. The river islands are connected With the city by bridges. It has a flourishing in- land trade, the excellent roads and waterways approaching the city reaching into the silk districts of Aidzu, and the coal and petroleum deposits of Echigo. A rich overland trade is carried on with Sendai on the E. coast. Junks and steamers ply in the rivers, distributing the exports of rice, coal, coal oil, fish, and silk, and the imports of sugar, wax, &c. It con- tains a government hospital, national and pri- vate banks, and a school of foreign languages. Niigata was founded in the 17th century, and was under the direct government of the sho- gun. It was opened to foreign commerce by the treaties of 1858, but owing to the bar it cannot be used for that purpose. NIJNI NOVGOROD. See NIZHNI NOVGOROD. NIKKO ( u Sunny Splendor "), the name of a range of mountains in the province of Shi- motsuke, on the main island of Japan, about 100 m. N. of Tokio, famous for its scenery, and for being the burial place of the great- est personage in Japanese history, Tokugawa lyeyasu, the warrior, lawgiver, and founder of