Scientific Intelligence, ^c. 149 



flioica, or common nettle, afford, in autumn when the leaves are 

 falling off, to water a red colouring matter, which answers well as 

 a dye. With chloride of tin it colours the solution bright red, and 

 forms a red precipitate.— {lb. 318.) 



6. Elaterine. — Clamor Marquart gives the following process for 

 separating this alkaloid from the mornordlca elaterium. The nearly- 

 ripe fruit was collected in July, pressed, and the juice evaporated to 

 the consistence of extract. This was then digested with alcohol of 

 90 per cent., the latter distilled off, and the residue agitated in boiling 

 water, in which, after cooling, the crystals of elaterin are observed 

 covered with chlorophylle. The solid matter is separated from the 

 fluid first, collected upon a filter, and separated from chlorophylle by 

 dropping ether upon it. A colourless crystalline, almost tasteless 

 powder remains, which by distillation leaves a product, containing 

 ammonia. It is insoluble in water, easily soluble in alcohol. It is 

 quite neutral, scarcely soluble in ether, little soluble in cold, very 

 soluble in hot oil of turpentine, from which it does not separate on 

 cooling. 



7. Atropin. Brandes and Geiger and Hesse procured this alkaloid 

 by means of ether. According to Geiger and Hesse 62 1- grains of 

 atropin may be procured from a pound of the extract. The impure 

 atropin should be dissolved in water containing yV of sulphuric acid. 

 More should be taken than is necessary for dissolving the atropin, 

 and the solution should be digested for several hours with blood char- 

 coal (hlutlaugenkohle). The filtered yellow solution should then 

 be precipitated with dilute caustic soda. The flocky precipitate is 

 then to be separated from the liquid and washed with cold water, by 

 which means it becomes pulverulent. Some more precipitate will 

 fall down from the mother liquor and will be increased by the addi- 

 tion of common salt. Atropin may be obtained in a crystalline state 

 by dissolving it in the smallest possible quantity of boiling water ; on 

 cooling it crystallizes, or when dissolved in alcohol and allowed to 

 evaporate spontaneously it crystallizes. Atropin possesses the follow- 

 ing properties: — When precipitated by alkali it is a pure white 

 powder containing crystalline particles. It crystallizes from its solu- 

 tion in needle shaped crystals. It possesses no smell but a highly 

 bitter and acrid taste. It is not acted on by light. It has an alka- 

 line reaction. It melts at 122°. At 212° it becomes brown. At 

 338° it is very brown, and a portion of it sublimes unchanged ; then 

 follows a combustible oil and ammoniacal vapour, and the mass is 

 decomposed leaving much carbon behind. It requires 500 parts of 

 cold water to dissolve it, but when dissolved in 58 parts of hot water 

 it does not separate on cooling*. 30 parts of boiling water are satu- 

 rated by 1 part of atropin, on cooling the greater proportion crystal- 

 lizes. On boiling the solution a small portion of the atropin appears 

 to be volatilized with the vapour of the water ; 8 parts of cold 

 absolute alcohol dissolve it. It is soluble in 63 times its weight of 

 cold ether. Dilute acids are completely neutralized by atropin; 

 concentrated acids decompose it. It gives a yellowish precipitate 

 with chloride of gold and chloride of platinum. It is precipitated 

 white by infusion of galls. According to Liebig 59 parts of anhy- 



