I] 
Introduction 
leaves of 57 plants varied from 0-352 to 0-768 per cent., and averaged 
0-545 per cent. In individual plants at a single picking the highest 
alkaloid content in 1911 was 0-925 and the lowest 0-200, and in 1912 
the highest was 0-882 and the lowest 0-292. (Jour. Agric. Res., I. 2, 
Nov., 1913.) 
The variation in the percentage of poisonous principle was well 
shown in several papers read at the International Congress of Applied 
Chemistry held at Washington and New York in 1912 (see Chemist and 
Druggist reports). For example, Carr stated that at the Wellcome 
Materia Medica Farm, Dartford, Kent, the effect of manuring on medi- 
cinal plants has been tested for some years, and the effect of the more 
common fertilisers on Atropa Belladonna was shown by the following 
table : 
1906 
1907 
1910 
1911 
1912 
Fertiliser 
Time of 
Application 
Per acre 
3rd 
year's 
4th 
year's 
1st 
year's 
2nd 
year's 
3rd 
year's 
plants 
plants 
plants 
plants 
plants 
Main crop 
0-54 
0-34 
0-61 
0-59 
0-68 
Farmyard manure 
March 
50 loads 
0-54 
0-34 
0-61 
0-53 
0-71 
Nitrate 
March & April 
2owt. 
0-52 
0-23 
0-54 
0-46 
0-64 
Calcium cyanamide 
Do. 
1 cwt. 


0-69 
0-49 
0-75 
Basic slag 
Do. 
2cwt. 
0-61 

0-65 
0-56 
0-84 
Superphosphate 
Do. 
5 cwt. 
0-46 

0-81 
0-49 
0-76 
Potash 
Do. 
5 cwt. 
0-61 
0-40 
0-75 
0-53 
0-69 
Percentage of Alkaloid 
in Dry Stem and Leaf 
In considering these results it must be remembered that the soil 
is naturally suited to the plant, and the percentage of alkaloid obtained 
without added fertilisers is already high. The low figures obtained 
in 1907 were probably due to the seasonal conditions. Atmospheric 
conditions have a modifying influence. 
It was also shown that the Belladonna root of commerce varies 
greatly in alkaloid strength. "In a number of analyses made of com- 
mercial roots, variations from 0-27 to 0-69 per cent, have occurred. 
The average of twenty-one analyses of German and Austrian commercial 
roots was 0-40 per cent. Other observers have recorded similar results. 
Chevalier (Compt. Rend., 1910, 150, 344) gives the following figures for 
Continental roots : French, 0-300 to 0-450 per cent; Austrian, 0-251 to 
0-372 per cent.; Italian, 0-107 to 0-187 per cent. Henderson has 
