193 ATROPA BELLADONNA 



pieces, of from one to two feet long, and from half an inch to 

 two or more inches thick. It has a dirty greyish or brownish- 

 white colour externally, and is whitish internally ; it breaks with 

 a short fracture. It has a very faint, earthy, somewhat sickly 

 odour, and a feeble sweetish taste. An infusion dropped into the 

 eye dilates the pupil. Belladonna root owes its activity, like the 

 leaves, entirely to the alkaloid atropia, but this is present in the 

 root in much larger proportion (see Atropia). 



An uncrystallizable alkaloid, called belladonnine, has also been 

 indicated by Hiibschmann as a constituent of belladonna root, but 

 of this little is known. The herb also contains asparagine, and 

 Attfield obtained from the extract of the leaves both nitrate and 

 chloride of potassium, and some other substances. 



3. ATROPIA or ATEOPINE. As already stated, it is to the 

 presence of this alkaloid that the leaves, root, and herb generally, 

 of belladonna, owe their active properties. We have also noticed 

 when treating of Datura Stramonium, that the alkaloid daturia is 

 said to be identical in composition, and to possess the same 

 characters and properties, as atropia. Atropia is however, 

 contained in by far the larger proportion in the root, which is exclu- 

 sively used in order to obtain it, and as the alkaloid is principally 

 contained in the bark, the moderately young and small roots yield 

 more atropia than the old and thick roots. According to Brandes, 

 two pounds of the root should yield about forty grains of atropia. 

 It is found in combination with malic acid. Atropia occurs in 

 colourless acicular prisms, sparingly soluble in water, and freely 

 soluble in alcohol, ether, and chloroform ; its solution in water 

 has an alkaline reaction, gives a citron-yellow precipitate with 

 terchloride of gold, and has a bitter taste. Atropia leaves no ash 

 when burned with free access of air ; powerfully dilates the pupil 

 of the eye ; and is a very active poison. 



Medical Properties and Uses. The action of belladonna leaves 

 and root, as already stated under the head of Datura Stramonium, 

 appears to be exactly the same as stramonium. Belladonna is 

 regarded as anodyne, sedative, antispasmodic, diuretic, and lacti- 

 fuge ; and like stramonium and some other plants of the natural 



