2 THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 



The Committee on Papers and Queries is preparing an interesting 

 program for the coming meetings; papers will be read and debates held 

 on live pharmaceutical topics. 



1 do not alone wish increased prosperity to the Association. — I pro- 

 phecy it — I see it coming. I see the present workers, encouraged by 

 success; — I see our old Graduates returning and taking up the work 

 with renewed zeal and vigor. 



I see Father Time hoarding up watever good has been done in the 

 passing year leaving a substantial credit for us with the New. 



HiERONIMUS A. HeROLD, 



New York, Dec. 31st, 1909. President of the Alumni Ass'n. 



THE CHEMISTRY OF THE SOLANACEOUS ALKALOIDS* 



By Curt P. Wimmer, A. M., Phar. D. 

 Alkaloids which are obtained from plants belonging to the family 

 Solanacae are termed briefly solanaceous alkaloids. The more im- 

 portant medicinal plants belonging to this family are: 



1) Atropa Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade, 

 3) Hyoscyamus Niger or Henbane, 



3) Datura Stramonium or Thornapple, 



4) Scopola Carniolica or Scopola Belladonna, and 



5) Capsicum Fastigiatum or Cayenne Pepper. 



The number of different alkaloids in these plants is of course very 

 large, and the composition and chemistry of many of them is, as yet, 

 not known. 



- Research work is, however, being done right along and no doubt 

 before many years, we will be in possession of complete knowledge of 

 the constitution of all of the alkaloids. It is only a little more than 

 three years that the complete synthesis of Atropine has been accom- 

 plished. The amount of work, painstaking research and patience, 

 necessary to do this, was simple tremendous, and the synthesis of 

 Atropine may truly be called one of the ''classic" accomplishments of 

 organic chemisrry. 



Atropine is the most important of solanaceous alkaloids and, there- 

 fore, its chemistry will be reviewed first of all. 



THE CHEMISTRY OF ATROPINE. 



This alkaloids was discovered in the first half of the last century by 

 a pharmacist named Mein. Liebig's attention was called to the new 

 *Read in Organic Chemical Conference, Columbia University. 



