180 APPENDIX. 
crude oil was acted upon by metallic potassium to separate the 
oxygenated product, and the pure oil removed; this upon analysis 
proved to be represented by the formula (C*H°)?S, (Vear-book of 
Pharmacy, 1892, p. 545.) 
Solanaceous Alkaloids. 
The surprising statement made rather more than three years since, 
by Messrs. Schering, that belladonna roots contain practically only 
hyoscyamine, and that atropine obtained from them is probably a 
produet of change oceurring during the manufacture, suggested to 
Dr, Schiitte to undertake a thorough investigation of the subject, 
and he has just published his results in a Jong and interesting paper 
(Archiv, Oct. 30, p, 492), In the first place the influence of methods 
ef preparation upon the conversion of hyescyamine inte atropme was 
tested. Dr. Will had already stated that eontaet with an alkali is 
sufficient to effect this change, and Dr, Schiitte found that the same 
result is produced by repeated recrystallizations from acidulated 
water, as well as by long keeping of hyoscyamine in solution or in 
the form of a gold salt. It was further ascertained that in fraetiona} 
precipitation the gold salt of atropine, if any should be present, is 
commencement of the precipitation in a properly-conducted experi- 
ment, it represents atropine existing as such in the plant-part, and 
that any obtained from a mother-liquor after the removal of the 
hyoscyamine represents a product of alteration. The influence of 
age and period of vegetation upon the alkaloids in the roots was 
next investigated. It was found that young fresh roots (1 to 2 
older roots (8 years and upwards) always contained, besides much 
hyoscyamine, a little already-formed atropine. Similar results 
were obtained with roots from old cultivated plants and roots that 
had been kept several years. The amount of alkaloid was consider- 
ably greater in the roots collected in summer than in the spring 
roots, and fell off again in the autumn, but more rapidly in the old 
than in the young roots, The averages obtained at the three 
periods were for young roots 0°127, 0-452, and 0-458 per eent., and 
for old roots 0-174, 0-358, and 0-280 per cent, Spring and autumn 
