THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMBAY. 31 



Atropine has a disagreeable metallic taste * Erhardt and Poehl dis- 

 pute the identity of Atropine and Daturine, says Sohn. Professor Dra- 

 gendorflf saysf that "according to the more recent researches of Laden- 

 burg, henbane contains two alkaloids, one of which Hyoscyamine, is 

 isomeric with Atropine, and identical with Daturine and Duboisine." 

 Ladenburg distinguishes Hyoscyamine from Atropine by the melting- 

 po ints of the alkaloids, and their gold-salts. Professor Schmiedeberg 

 of the University of Strassburg saysj that Atropine occurs in Daturine 

 of the Thorn-apple ; Hyoscyamine, which is isomeric with Atropine is 

 also said to be contained in the Thorn apple. But he doubts the identity 

 of Duboisine with Hyoscyamine.$ Dymock and his collaborateurs 

 who have carefully examined the plant, say that Prof. E. Schmidt 

 and Mr. Schute have found, as the result of their researches, that the 

 seeds of D. stramonium contain much Hyoscyamine, with small quan- 

 tities of Atropine and Hyoscine {Apoth. Ztg.^ 1890, 511). Stramonine 

 is not mentioned along with these. But in Dymock's Ph. Indica it is 

 stated that M. Gerard has prepared a new fat acid, Daturic acid, from 

 the seeds, which yield 25 per cent, oil when extracted by ether. Puri- 

 fied with petroleum, this oil is of a peculiar greenish-yellow colour. 

 M. Gerard places Daturic acid between Palmitic and Stearic acids. 

 They have analogous properties. Daturic acid crystallizes by cold 

 from 85 per cent, alcohol giving groups of fine needles. It is fairly 

 soluble in cold alcohol and very soluble in ether and benzene. I have 

 no comments to offer on the quotations I have given above from 

 celebrated pharmacological investigators ; but I have yet to place 

 before my readers the most recent opinions expressed by Dr. Murrell(| 

 as regards the nature of the active principles found in the different 

 species of the datura plant and some of its congeners such as Bella- 

 donna, Hyoscyamus and Duboisia myoporoides. Dr. Murrell says 

 that according to the old classification the active principles were as 

 follows : — 



1. Belladonna contained Atropine. 



2. Hyoscyamus — Hyosciamine and Hyoscine. 



3. Stramoniuna — Daturine, 



* See p. 14, Sohn's Dictionary of the Active Principles of Plants, 1894, London, 

 t Plant Analysis— English Translation by Greenish, p. 60, 1884, London. 

 X Elements of Pharmacology^, Dixon's English Translation. Edinburgh, 1887. 

 $ Pharmacographia Indica, p. 588, Vol. IL, 1891, Bombay, by Dj-mock, Warden, >nd 

 Hooper. 



11 A Manual of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Pages 430—452, London, 1896. 



