From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, October 5, 1915: The humble jimson weed has been transformed into a valuable herb from which the drug atrophine can be obtained. Dr. Frank R. Eldred of the Eli Lilly Drug Co made the discovery and has been working on the process for more than a year. In the last few weeks Lilly’s has begun making atrophine from the weed, heretofore a plant of zero usefulness. The raising of jimson weed to this high estate has been caused by the European war. Previously all atrophine used in pharmaceutical work came from Germany where it was distilled from belladonna. With no atrophine now coming from Germany, chemists in the United States started experimenting with other plants and found the drug in the jimson weed. Atrophine is invaluable, especially to the work of oculists.