262 
to “ some other plants.” The identity of scopolamine with hyoscine 
is affirmed without sufficient warrant. Isomers are not now con- 
sidered chemically identical. The revision committee was not called 
upon to settle the disputed question whether scopolamine and hyo- 
scine are therapeutically identical. It is a fact that manufacturers 
have assumed this, and that when physicians prescribe hyoscine they 
almost invariably get scopolamine. It was to justify this substitu- 
tion that scopolamine was made official, but the pharmacopoeia 
should not have committed itself to an opinion on a scientific ques- 
tion as yet undecided. — Proc. Am. Pharm. Ass., 1905, v. 53, p. 262. 
Siedler, P., asserts that the melting point of this substance is given 
in the Ph. Germ., IV, as 180° C. He found that material that was 
dehydrated over sulphuric acid and then dried for two hours at 
100° C. softens at 187° C. and melts at from 191° to 192° C. It is 
quite necessary to remove even traces of water, otherwise this sub- 
stance will melt at abnormally low temperatures, even so low as 100° 
C. Material that has been melted at low temperatures will require 
from 191° to 192° C. to remelt it after it has once cooled. — Pharm. 
Post, Wien, 1905, v. 38, p. 568. 
Robert, R., points out that the melting point of scopolamine is re- 
duced slightly by the addition of a small amount of the inactive 
scopolamine, but is again increased by the addition of a larger amount 
of the same substance. For these reasons he believes that the melt- 
ing point determination, per se , is not sufficient guarantee of the 
purity or the identity of the alkaloid to be used for therapeutic pur- 
poses. — Riedel’s Berichte, 1905, p. 22. 
Schmidt, Ernst, presents a comprehensive study of the behavior 
of scopolamine and scopoline with a number of reagents. — Arch. d. 
Pharm., 1905, v. 243, p. 559. 
Robert, R., discusses the wide field of usefulness of scopolamine, 
the untoward effects of some of the accompanying substances, and 
points out the necessity for insuring the absence of all optically 
inactive substances. He also presents a number of references to the 
literature relating to scopolamine and its uses. — Riedel’s Berichte, 
1905, pp. 9-22. 
Whitacre, Horace J., discusses the dangers from scopolamine- 
morphine anaesthesia and concludes (1) that scopolamine-morphine 
anaesthesia is not devoid of danger; (2) that the use of scopolamine- 
morphine alone for surgical narcosis is not justifiable; (3) that a 
single dose two hours before operation lessens the discomforts at- 
tendant on the operative procedure to a high degree, and may obtain 
a definite place in surgical practice. The author also records several 
deaths that have occurred from the use of this anaesthetic. — J. Am. 
M. Ass., 1905, v. 45, p. 2026. 
