BELLADONNA. 187 



leaf, and his work has been revised by Cloetta.* KiHani 

 found digitoxin and digitophylHn and a product aUied 

 to digitalin in the leaves. In the seeds he found digitalin 

 and digitonin. Cloetta's results confirm in part only the 

 researches of Kiliani. 



DigitaHc acid crystallizes in white needles, having an 

 acid taste and reaction, forming soluble salts with the 

 alkalies and alkaline earths. It decomposes readily in 

 the air. Antirrhinic acid is volatile. It is perhaps 

 identical with valerianic acid. 



Digitalin-resin occurs in yellowish-white plates of a 

 pearly lustre, smelling like fresh digitalis, and having 

 a nauseous, astringent taste. It is soluble in alcohol and 

 ether; slightly in hot water. 



BELLADONNA. 



Atropa belladonna is indigenous to many parts of 

 southern and middle Europe, also to middle and southern 

 Asia and South America. It does not thrive well in 

 northern climates. It is extensively cultivated in Eng- 

 land, America, and France, t According to A. Meyer, J 

 it is not widely cultivated in Germany, but the leaves are 

 gathered from the wild plants of two to four years of age, 

 during the months of June and July. The cultivated 

 plants are made to yield two crops of leaves, in July and 

 in September, after they are at least two years of age. 

 One hundred parts of the fresh leaves yield about sixteen 

 parts of the dried. 



Description. — The leaves when fresh are ovate with 

 sharpened apex, narrowed at the base, from 20 to 30 

 cm. in length and about 10 to 12 cm. broad. The 

 margins are entire and the surface is smooth; here and 



♦Journal of Pharmacology, 1899. 



fFor cultivation, see Holmes, Pharmaceutical Journal and Trans- 

 actions (3), No. 586, p. 237. 



^Wissenschaftliche Drogenkundc, p. 194. 



