590 SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED PHARMACOGNOSY 



Literature. Miller, Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1913, p. 291; Carr, 

 Ibid., 1913, p. 487; Sievers, Ibid., 1914, pp. 97 and 483; Newcomb, 

 Ibid., 1914, p. 531, and 1915, p. 1; Sievers, Ibid., 1916, 88, p. 193. 



BELLADONNA RADIX. Belladonna Root. The root of Atropa 

 Belladonna (Fam. Solanacese), a perennial herb (Figs. 243 and 244), 

 native of central and southern Europe, and cultivated in England 

 and Germany, from which countries most of the commercial supply 

 is obtained. The roots are collected in autumn from plants one to 

 four years old and carefully dried. 



Description. Cylindrical, slightly tapering, somewhat twisted 

 or split into longitudinal pieces, 5 to 15 cm. in length, 4 to 25 mm. 



FIG. 251. Atropine: Long orthorhombic prismatic crystals from an alcoholic 



solution. 



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. in 

 thickness, 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 roots (Figs. 85 and 250) and Althaea (Fig. 187) are 



