BELLADONNA. 299 



The expressed juice, or an infusion, dropped into the eye, 

 dilates the pupil. 



Substances resembling Belladonna Leaves : Stramonium leaves, 

 more wrinkled ; Hyoscyamus leaves, which are hairy. 



Belladonnas Radix BELLADONNA ROOT. 

 The dried root of Atropa belladonna. Cultivated in 

 Britain or imported from Germany. 



Characters. From one to two feet long, and from half an 

 inch to two inches thick, branched and wrinkled, brownish- 

 white. An infusion dropped into the eye dilates the pupil. 



_* Composition. Besides the ordinary constituents of plants, 

 belladonna root and leaves contain two alkaloids : (1) atropia, 

 and (2) belladonnin, homologous with atropia, and identical with 

 hyoscyamia, daturia, and duboisia. These alkaloids exist as 

 malates in the plant. 



Preparations. 



A. Of Belladonna Folia : 



1. Extractum Belladonna. A green extract. 100 of the 



fresh leaves in 4. ~I)ose, 5 to 2 gr. 



From the Extract are prepared : 



a. Emplastrum Belladonnas. 



b. Unguentum Eelladonnae. 80 gr. to 1 oz. of Lard. 



2. Succus Belladonna. Fresh juice, 3 ; Spirit, 1. Dose, 5 to 



15 min. 



3. Tinctura Belladonna. 1 of dried leaves in 20. Dose, 5 to 



30 min. 



B. Of Belladonnce Radix : 



Linimentum Belladonna.. 1 oz. to 1 fl.oz. Spirit, with Camphor. 



From Belladonna Root is made : 



Atropia, Atropia. Atropin, C^H^NOg. An 

 alkaloid obtained from Belladonna Root. 



Source. Made by the following process: (1) Exhausting 

 the root with Spirit; (2) precipitating the colouring matters 

 with Lime, and filtering, and neutralising excess of Lime with 

 Sulphuric Acid ; (3) distilling oif Alcohol, substituting Water, 

 and thus precipitating (a) the resins and (b) the Atropia; 

 (4) removing the Atropia by solution in Chloroform, distilling 

 off the latter, dissolving in Spirit, purifying with Charcoal, and 

 crystallising. 



