Analysis of the Atropa Belladomia. ] 49 



After having successively precipitated, as I have already 

 Baid, the sulphate of potash and the acidulated oxalate of 

 potash, I evaporated the liquor, which was always co- 

 loured, and which contained nitrate of potash and muriate 

 of lime, and I treated it with the nitric acid in order to 

 ascertain if it contained gum ; but not having obtained an 

 atom of saccho-lactic acid, I concluded that this substance 

 does not contain gum. It is merely formed of oxalic acid 

 and a yellow matter. This substance seems therefore to 

 be entirely of an animal nature. 



From what has been said above, we find that the juice 

 of belladonna contains the following substances : 



1. An animal substance, which is partly coagulated by 

 heat, and partly remains in solution in the juice, in conse- 

 quence of the free acetic acid which exists in it. 



2. A substance soluble in alcohol, which has a bitter 

 and nauseous taste, which on being combined with tannin 

 becomes insoluble, and furnishes ammonia by its decom- 

 position in the fire. 



3. Several salts with a base of potash, viz. a good deal 

 of nitrate, muriate, sulphate, acidulated oxalate, and acetate. 



The refuse or husks of the belladonna, from which the 

 juice had been extracted, having been washed in warm 

 water, dried, and afterwards burnt, furnished ashes com-r 

 posed of a considerable quantity of lime, phosphate of lime, 

 jron, and silex. s 



This lime announces that the plant contained oxalate of 

 lime, which had been decomposed by the fire. It is by no 

 means doubtful, that that part of the belladonna which is 

 soluble in alcohol is not the only substance which in 

 this plant produces a deleterious effect on the animal oeco- 

 nomy ; for it is the only one which has any taste; and the 

 well known effects of all the other substances which accom- 

 pany it have nothing in them resembling those of the plant 

 in question. 



To put this assertion beyond all doubt, I administered 

 to a dog a certain quantity of this principle mixed up with 

 crumbs of bread. 



First Experiment. About mid-day, I gave the animal a 

 gramme of extract invtlopcd in ten grammes of paste. 



Symptoms. In about three quarters of an hour the 

 animal seemed inclined to sleep ; he held down his head, 

 and seemed unable to keep it up : he laid his head on the 

 ground several times, and slight convulsions agitated his 

 ]egs : his jaws also moved as in the act of chewing. These 



K 3 effect§ 



