920 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
henbane, in fact it is nearly ten times as strong;. Specimens of Indian henbane 
have been known to contain as mnch as 128 per cent, of alkaloid and unlike 
the English variety Hyoscyamus niger which contains the alkaloids hyoscyamine 
hyoscine, and scopolamine the Indian variety muticu $ is said to contain 
only hyoscyamine. As a source of this important alkaloid hyoscyamine 
Indian Hyoscyamus should receive the attention of the manufacturer of fine 
chemicals and drugs. 
For the information of those readers of the Journal who are interested in 
the chemistry of this subject or the wanufature of hyoscyamine, below are 
given the details of the method of assay used, which is a modification of that 
devised by Rupp. Pharm. Zeit. 1908, 788 ; Ohem. Zeit. Rep. 1908, 82. 529 ; 
Pharm. J. Russ 1911, 138; /. Phirm. Chem. 1911 , 3,551). The method cau be 
used for assaying extracts of belladonna also. 
Twenty-five grams of the powdered loaf are extracted with 300 cc. hot 
alcohol Sp. Gr. 0 829 in a 8oxhlet tube (4 times was found sufficient to exhaust 
the leaves and obtain a washing free from alkaloids). The alcoholic extract 
is evaporated until a sticky brown mass is obtained. This is weighed and the 
weight noted. .Six grams of the extract so obtained is weighed into a- stop- 
pered flask. About 6 cc. of water, 90 grams of ether and one gram of ammonium 
hydrate are then added and the mixture shaken for 15 minutes. After separa- 
tion 60 grams of the clear ethereal layer is filtered off and the solvent 
evaporated. The residue is then treated with 5 grams of ether and again 
evaporated to dryness. This is repeated three times, each time with 5 grams 
ether. The residue is then dissolved in 5 grams of alcohol 70 per cent, and 
the solution transferred to a graduated 100 cc. flask. 
The first flask is washed out with another 5 cc. of alcohol 70 per cent, and 
then with water. To the bulked washings is added 20 grams of sodium 
chloride and 20 cc. of N/100 HCL are added with sufficient water to bring the 
whole contents up to 100 cc. After thorough agitation the solution is filtered. 
50 cc. of the filtrate is transferred to a stoppered flask. 30 cc. of ether and 
5 drops of Iodeosine indicator are added. The excess of hydrochloric acid is 
then determined by titration with N/100 KOH in the usual manner. 
In the meantime a blank experiment with the same reagents but without 
any extract of the leaves, is performed to obtain the correcting factor for 
reagent impurities, and this is deducted from the above titration figure. This 
precaution is absolutely necessary as a correction of upwards of 2 cc. of N/100 
HCL is frequently found. 
Each cc. of N/100 HCL used by the alkaloids = 0'00289 of mixed alkaloids 
as hyoscyamine. 
This is not the first time that Indian Hyoscyamus has been examined, for 
Dunstan and Brown examined a specimen (J. C. 8. 1899, 75,72), but only O'l 
per cent, of alkaloid was then recorded. It is possible that more than one 
variety of Hyoscyamus exist and that the alkaloidal contents of the v .rieties 
differ considerably. It is also more than likely that the amount of active 
principle present will depend upon the age and condition of the plant for 
Godamer (Arch. Pharm. 1898. 28), has 6hown that in Hyoscyamus muticus the 
