1821.] M. Brandes on Atropium. 267 



Atropium 38*9 



Sulphuric acid 37* 1 



Water 24-0 



100-0 



This I thought sufficient to remove all doubts as to the great 

 saturating power of atropium. It proves the pecuhar nature of 

 this alkaline body, when compared with the rest of the seanalo^ 

 gous substances, all of which are capable of neutralising only a 

 very small quantity of acid. Even picrotoxium, though accord- 

 ing to Boullay, only crystallizable when an excess of acid is 

 present, as appears to be the case with atropium, is capable of 

 combining with only nine per cent, of sulphuric acid. I have Httle 

 doubt that the mean number of these three analyses will approach 

 very near to truth, and that, therefore, sulphate of atropium is 

 composed of 



Atropium 38*93 



Sulphuric acid 36*52 



Water 24*55 



100*00 



It seems as if atropium is capable of combining in different 

 proportions with sulphuric acid. I once added an excess of 

 sulphuric acid to atropium diffused in water, and I observed a 

 sudden formation of long prismatic crystals, which seemed to, 

 be bisulphate of atropium. These crystals required several hun- 

 dred times their weight of water for solution, while the salt of 

 atropium which I analysed was soluble in four or five parts. It 

 is well known that with picrotoxium the case is similar. I made 

 several experiments to prepare that salt, but I could succeed 

 only when I diffused atropium in alcohol, and then added an 

 abundant quantity of sulphuric acid. By this process the salt 

 q4iickly appeared as a crystalline precipitate. 



Once as I evaporated a spirituous solution of sulphate of 

 atropium, I was struck with the smell of bitter almonds. To 

 determine whether the solution contained prussic acid, I diluted 

 it, and added some solution of sulphate of deutoxide of iron ; 

 there did not, however, appear the least trace of a blue colour. 



Atropium and Muriatic Acid. — The salt produced by the 

 combination of muriatic acid and atropium appears in beautiful 

 white brilliant crystals, which are either cubes or square plates, 

 similar to the muriate of daturium. It is readily soluble in 

 water and alcohol. By nitrate of silver the chloride is precipi- 

 tated, and the alkalies precipitate pure atropium from it. Even 

 after the most careful washing, I always observed some traces 

 af free acid. 



Analysis of the Muriate of Atropium* — I undertook this ana- 



