BY J. M. PETRIE. 139 



friends of the Royal Society of Queensland (pri\ate coninuuiica- 

 tion from Dr. J. Shirley). 



The results which Lauterer entirely depended upon for his 

 conclusion in the case of D. myojJoruides were obtained from 

 qualitative tests only, and chiefly Gerrard's mercuric chloride 

 reaction. The author, in repeating these tests with pure alka- 

 loids, obtained results which did not agree with the statements 

 of Gerrard (Pharm. Journ., xxi., 1891, 898). For instance, pure 

 atropine and hyoscyamine were dissolved in chloroform and 

 evaporated on a watch-glass. A 2 per cent, solution of mercuric 

 chloride in 50 per cent, alcohol was then added drop by drop, 

 when a yellow precipitate was obtained in both cases. These 

 remained yelloAv for some hours, though they became red on 

 heating. Atropine is stated by Gerrard to be distinguished from 

 hyoscyamine by giving a red colour at once, without heat. Sco- 

 polamine was found to give a white precipitate, and nor-hyo- 

 scyamine also gave a white precipitate when tested in the same 

 manner. In this way certainly hyoscyamine may be distin- 

 guished from scopolamine when separate; but, in a mixture of 

 alkaloids, the observation of a white precipitate in Gerrard's 

 reaction does not justify the conclusion that only scopolamine is 

 present. The author obtained a white precipitate in the mixture 

 of alkaloids obtained from Solandra longiflora (Part iii. of this 

 series) in which no scopolamine was found, but wdiich contained 

 hyoscyamine, nor-hyoscyamine, and atropine. 

 Source of the Material. 



The material for this investigation was collected in Queensland 

 by the author, accompanied by Mr. C. White, Assistant Govern- 

 ment Botanist. The starting point for the Duboisia country 

 was the Xorth-West Railway terminus at Nanango, and direc- 

 tions had been obtained from Dr. Shirley, who discovered the 

 trees in this region in 1890. Far up the Stuart River and about 

 10 miles from Taabinga cattle-station, the first specimens of D. 

 Leichhardtii were seen; and after two days' driving through 

 open forest-country, they were still observed stretching away to 

 the south-west towards the Bunya Bunya Mountains. 



