578 SOLANACEZ. 
these a compound of tropine with one of two isomeric phenyl- 
glycollic acids has been named homatropine, and has proved 
physiologically important. Atropine is the same as daturine, 
the active principle of the Daturas; it occurs along with 
hyoscyamine in those plants and also in Duboisia and probably 
in other Solanaceous plants. Belladonnine is an alkaloid occur- 
ring in the mother-liquor from which sulphate of atropine has 
been crystallised; it is amorphous, very slightly soluble in 
water, very soluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform. It is but 
slightly attacked by boiling baryta water, but is split up by 
alkalies into tropic acid and oxy-tropine, C®°H'5NO*. This 
would indicate that belladonnine is oxy-atropine, C'7H**NO*. 
According to Merling belladonnine is C!7H?'NO*%, and 
gives tropine, atropic acid, and iso-atropic acid when boiled 
with baryta-water. For further information on the chemistry of 
atropine and its decomposition products, the reader is referred 
to Watt's Dict. of Chem., 2nd Ed.; Stillé and Maisch, National 
Dispensatory, 4th Ed.; Iiebig’s Annalen; Berichte der deutsch. 
Chem. Ges. Atropamine is a new alkaloid found by Hesse in 
Belladonna root, where it is occasionally present in con- 
siderable quantity. It is amorphous, melts at 60° C., 
is easily soluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform, has 
the formula C'?H?'NO® (differing from atropine, that is, 
hyoscyamine and hyoscine, by containing one H’O less; but 
identical with pure belladonnine). It differs from the other 
belladonna alkaloids by forming beautifully crystallized haloid 
salts 5 iti is optically inactive ; the hydrochlorate in 2 per cent. 
n oe unknown acid, which may under some conditions 
rrange its atoms to form cinnamic or isocinnamic acid. 
Aci¢ i easily bring about the decomposition, but first 
amine into belladonnine ; this easy decom- 
i and the Doane was not sooner dis- 
