270 M* Brandts on Atropium. [April, 



Atropium 100*00 106-5 



Sulphuric acid 93-83 100-0 



One hundred parts of muriate of atropium would consist of 



Atropium 60*68 



Muriatic acid 39-32 



100-00 

 And 



Atropium .... 100-0 .... 154-3 would combine with 

 Muriatic acid. 64-8 100-0 



On the Alteration which Atropium undergoes when heated 

 with Potash, and when burned. — When I tried some other sub- 

 stance obtained from the atropa belladonna by heating it with 

 potash, I obtained a salt which, when supersaturated with acetic 

 acid, produced with muriate of iron a red solution. I inferred 

 from this, that there might be formed sulphochyazic acid. Sus- 

 pecting this vegetable substance to contain atropium, I took 

 some of this alkali as it had been precipitated from a decoction 

 of atropa belladonna, and heated it with a solution of pure potash 

 in a platina spoon. As soon as the action of the potash be2;an, 

 a distinct smell of ammonia was perceptible, and a glass rod with 

 strong muriatic acid produced a white cloud when brought near 

 to it. The residuum was dissolved in water, supersaturated 

 with acetic acid, and tested with muriate of deutoxide of iron, 

 which instantly produced a red colour. 



This experiment did not always succeed. It proves, however, 

 that under certain circumstances there may be formed a sub- 

 stance from atropium, which produces a red colour with deutox- 

 ide of iron, and which probably is sulphochyazic acid. Sulphur 

 is, perhaps, a constituent of atropium. The potash I made use 

 of had a slight trace of sulphuric acid. 



I have been obliged to discontinue my experiments on the 

 roperties of this alkali. The violent headaches, pains in the 

 ack, and giddiness, with frequent nausea, which the vapour 

 of atropium occasioned while 1 was working on it, had such a 

 bad effect on my weak health that I entirely abstained from any 

 further experiment. 



I once tasted a small quantity of sulphate of atropium, the 

 taste was not bitter but merely saline, but there soon followed 

 violent headache, shaking in the limbs, alternate sensations of 

 heat and cold, oppression of the chest, and difficulty in breath- 

 ing, and diminished circulation of the blood. The violence 

 of these symptoms ceased in half an hour. 



Even the vapour of the different salts of atropium produces 

 giddiness. When exposed for a long time to the vapours of a 

 solution of nitrate, phosphate, or sulphate of atropium, the pupiL 



I 



