May 20,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
921 
BRISTOL PHARMACOLOGY. 
BY W. W. STODDART, F.C.S., E.G.S. 
(Continued from page 883.) 
Nat. Orel. Solanace.e. 
This Order of plants is well known for producing 
the most deadly poisons. In some genera the juice 
of the plant will he strongly deleterious, while the 
solids will he nutritious. It is so with the common 
potato. The water in which the tuber has been 
boiled and the juice of the shoots and leaves are very 
noxious, while whole nations use the boiled tuber as 
a common and wholesome food. 
Hyoscyamus niger (Linn.). 
This singular plant delights in waste, sandy places, 
and may be found at Aust, Shireliampton, Hanham 
and Clevedon. 
Its clammy, sticky feel, with an oppressive, dis¬ 
agreeable odour, produces an unfavourable impression 
on the collector, which is, however, partly removed 
by its elegant yellow corolla, relieved by dark purple 
veins. 
Authors have been undecided as to whether the 
biennial and annual plants should be regarded as 
distinct varieties, or the latter only a more mature 
growth of the former. Judging from the general 
anatomy of the plant, and the spectroscopic appear¬ 
ance of the juice, the latter is probably the true state 
of the case. At all events, the biennial is the only 
one that ought to be used for making the extract and 
tincture, both of which are very favourite prepara¬ 
tions. One cwt. of the fresh leaves will produce six 
pounds of extract. 
The microspectroscope will immediately decide 
whether the tincture has been made from the bien¬ 
nial plant. Five dark bands are distinctly seen, 
which are not visible in that from the annual. They 
are so well marked that the tinct. liyoscyami is a 
beautiful object for exhibition on a screen by the 
electric or oxyliydrogen light. 
The Henbane seeds are very pretty objects for the 
binocular microscope. They are flattened, greyish- 
green, and marked with small reticulations resem¬ 
bling the balls used by schoolboys made with netted 
string. 
The active properties of the Henbane are supposed 
to be due to hyoscyamin, an alkaloid existiug in the 
plant as malate. 
It in some degree resembles atropine in its action 
on the system, and has a peculiar soothing, tranquil¬ 
lizing effect, without many of the objectionable qua¬ 
lities of opium. 
Hyoscyamin is most readily prepared from the 
seeds by exhaustion with alcohol and diluted sul- 
phuririacid, when the alkaloid is removed by potassic 
carbonate and ether. 
It crystallizes with difficulty in tufts of acicular 
crystals. "When dry, it is inodorous, but when mois¬ 
tened gives off a tobacco-like odour. It is soluble in 
water, alcohol, and ether. It is decomposed by 
caustic alkalies like the alkaloids of all the solana- 
cepus plants, as pointed out by Dr. Garrod, so that 
preparations of Henbane, Belladonna, Stramonium, 
or Tobacco should never be prescribed with liq. 
potassae. Hyoscyamin is completely precipitated by 
tincture of iodine. 
Third Series, No. 47. 
Solatium Dulcamara (Linn.). 
This pretty climbing plant is very common in the 
hedges and conspicuous in the month of July with 
its potato-like flowers. The bright yellow pointed 
anthers project from the purple corolla, each segment 
of which is marked by two green spots at the base. 
Dulcamara owes its active properties to a poison¬ 
ous alkaloid named solanin (C 43 H 71 N0 16 ), which 
abounds in every part of the plant. 
A very ready method for obtaining solanin on a 
small scale fbr microscopic observation, is to let a 
potato germinate in a dark cellar, when the etiolated 
shoots will proceed for a long distance towards the 
light. On macerating these colourless shoots with 
very dilute sulphuric acid, solanin may be precipi¬ 
tated from the Altered solution by a little warm am¬ 
monia. Care must be taken that the acid used be 
not too strong, or the alkaloid will be decomposed. 
Another very good method is to add lime to the 
expressed juice of the potato germs, or berries of the 
Dulcamara, and exhaust the precipitate with alcohol. 
By evaporating a drop of the solution on a glass 
slip, very beautiful and characteristic crystals may 
be obtained. Under a high power they appear as 
slender, right-angled, four-sided prisms. Solanin is 
soluble in alcohol, but nearly insoluble in ether and 
water. With chromic acid a sky-blue colour is pro¬ 
duced, with nitric acid a rose-red, and with sulphuric 
acid an orange-red, passing to a violet. 
By the action of dilute hydrochloric and sulphuric 
acids, solanin is decomposed into solanidin 
(C 2S H 41 NO) and glucose. 
C„H :1 N0 11 + 3H.0=C !1 H ( ,N0 + 3(C 6 H 12 0 6 ). 
Solanin. Solanidin. Glucose. 
Solanidin differs from solanin by being soluble in 
ether. 
Strong hydrochloric acid converts solanin into 
another alkaloid, solanicine (C 50 H 73 N 2 O). Z wenger, 
who was the discoverer, sa} r s it is nearly insoluble 
in alcohol, ether and water. It, however, requires 
further investigation. 
Nat. Ord. ScROPHULARIACEiE. 
Only one of the many genera comprised in this 
group is employed medicinally, although the Fig- 
wort, Mullein and Eyebriglit were formerly in great 
request. 
Except perhaps the Mini ulus moschatus, so "well 
known in gardens, every species is devoid of any 
aromatic flavour. 
Digitalis purpurea (Linn.). 
This handsome and attractive plant is found 
wherever the sandstone occurs, as at Brislington, 
Westbury, Leigh Woods and Ashton. 
It derives its name from Digitabulum (a thimble), 
on account of the shape of its flowers, and was called 
by an old writer “ Thimble-wort.” 
It was a favourite remedy of Dr. Withering, who 
largely used it in his own practice, and first drew 
the attention of physicians to its valuable properties. 
“ The vapid pulse it can abate, 
The hectic ilush can moderate, 
And blest by Ilim whose will is fate 
May give a lengthen’d day.” 
The Foxglove owes its peculiar sedative and di¬ 
uretic properties to a glucoside, named digitalin 
