CRUDE DRUGS. 463 



anomalous secondary cambiums, bark dark brown, about 0.5 mm. 

 thick; odor musk-like; taste bitter, pungent. 



Constituents. Volatile oil having the taste of peppermint, 

 from 0.3 to I per cent. ; two balsamic resins, one soluble in alcohol 

 and having the odor and taste of the root, the other soluble in 

 ether; fixed oil 17 per cent.; ash about 8 per cent.; starch and 

 several acids, as angelic, valerianic and methyl-crotonic. 



BELLADONNA RADIX. BELLADONNA ROOT. The 

 root of Atropa Belladonna (Fam. Solanaceae), a perennial herb 

 (p. 372), native of Central and Southern Europe, and cultivated 

 in England and Germany, from which countries most of the com- 

 mercial supply is obtained (Fig. 268). The roots are collected in 

 autumn from plants three to four years old and carefully dried. 



Description. Cylindrical, slightly tapering, somewhat 

 twisted, or split into longitudinal pieces 5 to 15 cm. long, 4 to 25 

 mm. in diameter; externally light brown, smooth, longitudinally 

 wrinkled or fissured, sometimes with transverse ridges and with 

 rootlet-scars or fragments of rootlets ; fracture short, mealy when 

 dry and emitting a dust consisting of starch grains and fragments 

 of cells, tough when damp ; internally light yellow, slightly radiate, 

 bark 0.5 to 2 mm. thick, not fibrous, and adhering closely to the 

 wood, cambium zone distinct ; odor narcotic ; taste sweetish, acrid. 



Roots that are shrunken, spongy, dark brown and free from 

 starch should be rejected, as also old woody roots and stem- 

 remnants. 



Phytolacca root and Althaea are distinguished from belladonna 

 root by having numerous sclerenchymatous fibers, while inula 

 has neither starch nor cryptocrystalline crystals of calcium oxalate. 



Inner Structure. See Figs 199, 200, 281, 303. 



Constituents. There are two principal alkaloids hyoscya- 

 mine and atropine which together amount to 0.2 to i. per cent., 

 the proportions of these varying according to the age of the 

 root, the hyoscyamine, however, usually being in excess. The 

 atropine appears to be derived from its isomer hyoscyamine and 

 not to preexist in the root ; a small amount of scopolamine 

 (hyoscine) is also present. Other alkaloids, as belladonnine, apo- 

 atropine, etc., have been isolated, but these are decomposition 

 products of hyoscyamine. The drug also contains a fluorescent 



