THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 3 



discovery and he determined the formula correctly C,,H2 3N03. In 

 1864, a chemist named Lotten announced, that he had succeeded in 

 splitting up the alkaloid into an acid and an alcohol and that, there- 

 fore, Atropine was to be regarded as an ester which readily undergoes 

 saponification. The change could be expressed by the following 

 equation: 



C,,H23N03 + H30=C,Hj,NO+CoH,„03 

 Atropine Tropine Tropic Acid 



The examination of the physical properties resulted in the following 

 data: Atropine is optically inactive, it crystallises in prisms, melts at 

 lie^C. The taste is bitter and acrid. The alkaloid dissolves easily 

 in alcohol and chloroform, it is difficulty soluble in ether and benzene 

 and not soluble in cold water. It forms salts readily. 



The constitution of tropic acid was readily determined. On oxida- 

 tion benzoic acid was formed, showing the presence of a benzene ring 

 with an aliphatic side-group. KOH and heat applied to tropic acid 

 gave phenylacetic and formic acids. Based upon these facts the 

 formula of Tropic Acid was established as 

 /CHgOH 

 ^a^5 — CH\ A-Phenyl hydracrylic acid. 



\COOH 



Acrylic acid: Hydracrylic acid: Phenylhydracrylic acid • 

 CHjj CH^OH CHoOH 



i I I 



CH CH, CH-CeH, 



COOH COOH COOH 



It may also be regarded as an A — phenyl B — oxy propionic acid: 



Propionic acid: A— phenyl propionic A — phenyl B — oxy propionic 



acid: acid: 



CH3 CH3 CHoOH 



I I I 



CH, CH-CeH, CH-C,II, 



COOH COOH COOH 



The acid contains one asymetric carbon atom: 



CH2OH 



: I 



CeHj-C-H 



I 

 COOH 



and one optically inactive, and two optically active acids have actually 

 been obtained. 



