362 MM. Kraut and Lossen on Atropine. ■ 



cerned, as is expressed in the following reaction : — 



2G 4 H 2 Br 2 3 +H 2 0=G 4 H 2 3 + G 2 HBr+2€0 2 + 3HBr. 



Mucobromic acid. Muconic Brominated 



acid. acetylene. 



In the decomposition of mucrobromic acid by oxide of silver, 

 the final products are the same, but intermediate products are 

 formed which ultimately decompose. 



The authors have described several salts of pyromucic acid, 

 and they propose to continue the study of the products of de- 

 composition of mucobromic acid. 



When atropine is boiled with baryta-water it is decomposed, 

 as Kraut has found*, into a new acid, atropic acid, and a new 

 base, tr opine , in the manner expressed by the following equa- 

 tion : — 



C 84 NH 23 6 =C 18 H 8 4 + C 16 NH 15 O 2 



Atropine. Atropic acid. Tropine. 



The two new bodies remain in solution as atropate of tropine. 

 After removing the baryta by carbonic acid, hydrochloric acid and 

 ether are added, by which the tropine is dissolved out as hydro- 

 chlorate, the acid being left. The free base is obtained by 

 removing the hydrochloric acid by oxide of silver, and the small 

 trace of silver by sulphuretted hydrogen. The aqueous solution 

 evaporated and left over sulphuric acid solidifies to a mass of 

 crystals which have the formula C 16 H 15 N0 2 + HO. The crys- 

 tals which form from an ethereal solution have the formula 

 C 16 H 15 N0 2 . 



Tropine does not take up carbonic acid when exposed in the air; 

 but it forms with acids a series of beautifully crystallizing salts. 

 When distilled with baryta it is decomposed, forming an oily 

 liquid which contains, besides ammonia, probably methylamine. 

 When tropine is treated with iodide of ethyle in a sealed tube, 

 one atom of hydrogen is replaced by ethyle, and a base, ethyl- 

 tropine, is formed, C 16 H 14 (C 4 H 5 ) NO 2 . 



Atropic acid, C 18 H 8 O 4 , is isomeric with cinnamic acid, from 

 which, however, it materially differs in physical properties, and 

 in the circumstance that its neutral salts do not precipitate salts 

 of manganese. The atropate of lime is a salt which crystallizes 

 in large plates with a vitreous lustre. By treatment with chromic 

 acid, atropic acid yields benzoic acid ; it likewise resembles cin- 

 namic acid in assimilating 2 atoms of bromine. 



Lossen has found f that atropine is decomposed by fuming 



* Liebig's Annalen, vol. cxxviii. p. 280 j and vol. cxxxiii. p. 187. 

 t Liebig's Annalen, vol. cxxxi. p. 43. 



