File:Belladonna sealing wax.png

Belladonna sealing wax.

Was belladonna ever used in wax seals on letters in order to detect tampering by the messengers delivering them? I was reading The Rule of Four recently, and the prologue contains the following paragraph:

For it wasn't the seals that would undo Rodrigo and Donato. It was the heavy black wax in which those seals had been pressed. When they arrived at San Lorenzo, the messengers were met by a mason who knew what was in the wax: an extract from a poisonous herb called deadly nightshades, which, when applied to the eyes, dilates the pupils. Today the compound is used medicinally, but in those days it was used by Italian women as a cosmetic drug, because large pupils were considered a mark of beauty. It was this practice that earned the plant its other name: "beautiful woman," or belladonna. As Rodrigo and Donato melted and re-melted each seal, then, the smoke from the burning wax took hold. Upon their arrival at San Lorenzo, the mason brought them to a candelabra near the altar. When their pupils failed to contract, he knew what they had done. And though the men struggled to recognise him through their unfocused eyes, the mason did as he'd been told: he took his sword and beheaded them. It was a test of trust, his master said, and the messengers had failed.

I googled whether this was something that actually used to happen (using belladonna, not the beheading) or not, but could not find any answers.

Smoking belladonna is often advised for novice high-seekers because it seriously limits the amount of drug injested. This guide to the plant says much the same - temperatures above 100F tend to destroy the active ingredients. Waxes differ, but most are solid below 100F; sealing wax is heated slowly so that it becomes soft but not fully liquid, so, heated for a longer period.

The amount of belladonna that would need to be added to the wax is very significant, mixed in with the liquid - very hot - wax. As such, I can't imagine that between preparing the wax, sealing a letter, and resealing it, that any belladonna vapor remained. Maybe if they were in a tremendously small room with no ventilation, sure.

I think it's telling that if you google this question, this thread is one of the top responses. I'm not aware of any historical record of this.

• Was belladonna ever used in wax seals on letters in order to detect tampering by the messengers delivering them? @ Reddit

• Post @ Twitter (14 April 2021)