Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 54? 3 



solution is colourless. To have the atropia pure, it is only requisite 

 to pour into the acid solution a slight excess of solution of carbonate 

 of potash, and to dissolve the precipitate in rectified alcohol. This 

 solution yields, by spontaneous evaporation, fine groups of acicular 

 crystals of atropia. 



In the absence of the fresh plant, the officinal extract, which has 

 been well prepared, may be substituted for it : 30 grammes of ex- 

 tract of belladonna, prepared from the purified juice of the plant, were 

 dissolved in 100 grammes of distilled water; to the filtered solution 

 were added 2 grammes of caustic potash and 15 grammes of chloro- 

 form. After agitating the mixture for a minute and setting it aside 

 for half an hour, the chloroform containing atropia was deposited, 

 the supernatant liquor was decanted and replaced by water, which 

 was three times renewed ; the chloroformic solution weighed 1 1 

 grammes, so that 4 grammes of chloroform were lost during the 

 manipulation. This solution exposed to the air rapidly evaporated, 

 leaving a crystalline greenish mass consisting almost entirely of 

 atropia ; this, treated with dilute sulphuric acid, and precipitated by 

 carbonate of potash, gave a precipitate weighing 16 centigrammes. 

 It was totally soluble in rectified alcohol, and yielded by sponta- 

 neous evaporation fine needles of atropia. 



The author of this mode of operating with belladonna is of opi- 

 nion that it is susceptible of generalization, and of application to 

 many other substances containing organic alkalies ; if it does not 

 prove an ceconomical method of preparing these products, it will 

 serve, at any rate, in some cases, as a ready means of estimating the 

 value of certain commercial products. 



In a future communication the author proposes to give a process 

 for estimating quickly and commercially the alkalies of cinchonas, 

 by acting on very small quantities of them ; and will also show that 

 by means of chloroform, traces of iodine may be ascertained more 

 advantageously than by starch. — Comptes Rendus, Octobre 14, 1850. 



ON THE COMPOSITION OF CERTAIN NATURAL ORGANIC BASES. 

 BY M. A. DE PLANTA. 



It is remarked by the author, that the researches of a great num- 

 ber of chemists have of late years given great impulse to the study 

 of the composition of the vegetable alkalies. In this so cultivated a 

 field there remain, however, some gaps to be filled, and this M. de 

 Planta has, therefore, endeavoured to effect with respect to atropia, 

 daturina and aconitina. 



Atropia. — This was prepared by M. Merck of Darmstadt ; it had 

 the form of very fine needles, which were unalterable by exposure 

 to the air, and heavier than water. At common temperatures, 1 part 

 of atropia requires about 300 parts of water for solution. Alcohol 

 dissolves it in all proportions ; aether less readily. 



At 90° centigrade, atropia melts into a colourless transparent 

 liquid, and becomes on cooling a brittle mass, in which, after long- 

 continued fusion, crystals are often observable grouped in stars. At 

 140° it is partly volatilized, but the greater portion is decomposed. 

 Heated on a strip of platina, it readily fuses, melts, swells up and 



