ANALYSIS OE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE.' 355 



4. Muriate of lime produces a precipitate wholly soluble 

 in nitric acid. 



5. The solution reddens litmus paper. 



6. Nitrate of silver produces in it no effect. 



7. Burned in a crucible it leaves an alkaline and hepatic 

 coal. 



From these effects we may conclude, that this part of Its compoav-Rt 

 belladonna is composed of an animal matter, of sulphate P*'^'^' 

 of potash, of acidulous oxalate of potash, probably of ni- 

 trate, and that it contains no muriate. 



We may conclude too from these effects, that no earthy 

 salts are present in it, since muriate of lime, as well as ni- 

 trate of barytes, produces in it a precipitate. 



I satisfied myself by trials made on a larger scale, that 

 the precipitates occasioned in the solution of the substance 

 in question by nitrate of barytes were, the first, oxalate of 

 lime, the second sulphate of barytes. 



The oxalate of lime had carried down with it a large Oxalate of lime 

 quantity of animal matter, which gave it a brown colour ^as a strong at- 

 T"! • • I- 4. ^i. ^ .!-• li 1 „ ' traction for ani- 



Ihis indicates, that this salt has a powerful attraction mal matter. 



for animal matter j and explains why mulberry calculi, which 

 are known to be composed of oxalate of lime, have a much 

 deeper colour than other calculi. 



After having precipitated successively, as I have said, No gum in it. 

 the sulphate of potash, and acidulous oxalate of potash, I 

 evaporated the liquor, which was still coloured, and con- 

 tained nitrate of potash and muriate of lime; and I treated 

 it with nitric acid, to know whether it contained any gum : 

 but, as I could not obtain an atom of sacchlactic acid, I 

 concluded, that it contained none. It was formed only of 

 oxalic acid and a yellow matter. This substance appeared 

 tlien to be entirely of an animal nature. 



From what has been said we find, that the juice of belia- Matters coq- 



donna contains the following matters ; tained in the 



A -11. , . , . juiceof beila- 



1, An annual substance, which is partly coagulated by donna 



heat, and partly remains dissolved in the juice by means of 

 the free acetic acid present in it. 



2, A substance soluble in spirit of wine, which has a 

 bitter and nauseous taste, by combining with tannin becomes 

 insoluble, and furnishes ammonia when decomposed by fire. 



A a 2 3, Several ' 



