127-3 
PART USED AND PREPARATION.—The ripe seeds are powdered and cov- 
ered in a well-stoppered bottle, with five parts by weight of alcohol, and allowed to 
stand for eight days in a dark, cool place; vigorously shaking the vial twice a day. 
The tincture separated from this mass by filtration is clear, and has a beautiful 
brownish-orange color by transmitted light. The slight odor it exhales is not 
characteristic; it has no peculiar taste, but leaves a numb feeling upon the tongue 
very similar to that caused by carbolic acid. Its reaction is acid. 
Should the bottle be left longer before filtration, the tincture will become 
stronger each day until it is opaque. Then in thin layers it exhibits a beautiful 
orange-red color by transmitted light, and when looked down upon presents a 
brilliant iridescent, grass-green film, which does not change during agitation, 
although it appears like a stratum separable from the rest of the preparation, 
This last preparation is, of course, unoffcinal, but is mentioned simply to show 
that our tincture does not represent the full strength of the seed. 
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS.—Datura-Atropine or Daturine—This body 
was discovered in Stramonium by Geiger and Hesse in 1833. A. von Planta in 
1850 proved it identical with Adéropine,* not only in solubility and fusibility, but 
also in its chemical composition (C,,H,,NO,), and many physical properties. It 
differs, however, sufficiently to suggest to Herr Schmidt that we should distinguish 
the two products by prefixing the name of the plant from which each is derived. 
Ledenburg + says, doubtless Daturine, Hyoscyamine, Atropine, and Duboisine are 
identical, 
The following points of difference are, however, distinguishable between. the 
two alkaloids: The crystals are said to differ somewhat in form ;{ datura-atropine 
is levogyrate, while atropa-atropine is non-rotary ;§ platinic chloride precipitates 
atropa-atropine salts, but not salts of datura-atropine, and picric acid precipitates 
datura-atropine, but not atropa-atropine ; || atropa-atropine is said to be twice as 
poisonous as datura-atropine ; {and it is claimed ‘that datura-atropine is thrice as 
powerful a dilatant of the pupil as its isomer, and that the dilation lasts longer.** 
Atropa-atropine or atropine, C,,H,,O, as purified after its extraction from the 
flowering Belladonna, forms prisms, having a nauseous, bitter and burning taste, 
and causing a dryness of the mouth and fauces, with constriction of the throat. 
Even in very small doses it produces congestive headache and dilatation of the 
pupil. It is readily soluble in alcohol, less so in water; its solubility is increased 
in each by the addition of heat. It fuses at go° (194° F.); and at 140° (284° F.) 
it breaks down, the greater portion being destroyed ; by farther heating on plati- 
-num-foil it bursts into a flame, and the slight residue soon vanishes. i. 
Stramonin.—This chemically uninvestigated body was separated from the tinc- 
ture of the seeds, by Trommsdorf.++ It is described as a white, tasteless powder ; 
sparingly soluble in alcohol, insoluble in water and fusing at 150° (302° F.). 
* Am. Your. Phar., XXUL., 38. + Berichte. der Chem. ges., 1880, 380. { Erhard, 1865.00 
a Poehl, Peterséd. Med. Wochenseh., 1877, No. 20. : {| Poehl, Lie: : : tao? . q Schroff. : : 2 2 : a - a 
_ -*¥* Jobert, dun. de Therap., 1863, 28. tt Wittstein, he eee 
