544 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



emits white fumes, and afterwards burns with a 'brilliant flame, 

 leaving a black, bright charcoal. 



The aqueous solution of atropia possesses strong alkaline reaction ; 

 it combines with alkalies [acids ?] to form neutral uncrystallizable 

 salts. Evaporated in vacuo, these salts become of the consistence 

 of syrups ; they dissolve very readily in water and in alcohol, less so 

 in aether. The hydrochlorate of atropia acts with reagents in the 

 following manner : — Potash, ammonia and carbonate of potash, added 

 to very concentrated solutions of this salt, give pulverulent precipi- 

 tates readily soluble in excess of the reagent. Carbonate of am- 

 monia, bicarbonate of soda, and phosphate of soda, do not give pre- 

 cipitates. Chloride of gold gives a crystalline precipitate of a yellow 

 colour, which is but slightly soluble in hydrochloric acid. Chloride 

 of platina forms a pulverulent precipitate, which readily aggluti- 

 nates into a resinous mass, dissolving in hydrochloric acid. The 

 bichloride of mercury precipitates only very concentrated solutions 

 of hydrochlorate of atropia. The double iodide of mercury and po- 

 tassium forms a white thick precipitate, which agglutinates strongly 

 on the addition of hydrochloric acid. The iodide of potassium and 

 sulphocyanide of potassium give no precipitate. Tincture of iodine 

 precipitates the hydrochlorate of atropia of a brown colour ; iodic 

 acid does not colour it ; neither infusion nor tincture of galls yields a 

 precipitate till hydrochloric acid is added. 



Picric acid occasions a sulphur-yellow precipitate, and nitric acid 

 does not dissolve it. 



M. Planta analysed uncombined atropia and the double chloride 

 of atropia and gold. His analyses indicate the composition as 

 C 34 H 23 NO 6 , HC1 + Au CI 3 ; the composition of uncombined atropia 

 is consequently expressed by C 34 H 23 NO 6 . This formula was checked 

 by an experiment, by which the author determined the quantity of 

 hydrochloric acid gas absorbed by a given weight of atropia. He 

 found that 100 parts of atropia absorbed 13*85 parts of hydrochloric 

 gas, which agrees very well with the equivalent deduced from the 

 salt of gold. M. Planta also ascertained the quantity of sulphuric 

 acid exactly necessary to saturate a given quantity of atropia. The 

 equivalent calculated by this last experiment agreed equally well 

 with the theoretical equivalent. 



Daturina. — This was extracted in 1833 by MM. Geiger and Hesse 

 from the Datura stramonium ; it has the form of small brilliant needles 

 aggregated in tufts; it is colourless, unalterable in the air, and 

 heavier than water. 



M. Planta has observed, that in its combination of properties, and 

 also in its composition, this alkali is similar to atropia. The double 

 chloride of daturina and gold may be obtained under the form of a 

 crystalline mass, of a fine golden-yellow colour. 



Its composition is expressed by the formula C 34 H 23 NO 6 , HC1 

 -f AuCl 3 . 



Aconitina. — The discovery of this base is also due to MM. Geiger 

 and Hesse, who obtained it in 1833 from the Aconitum napellus. 

 Previously to examining the properties and composition of this base, 

 M. Planta purified the commercial article by the following process : 



