EXPEEIMENTS ON THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLE OP IIYOSCYAMUS. 127 
Mr. Sutton (Norwich) confirmed the statement that certain samples of this salt were 
insoluble from being so completely deprived of water, and recovered their solubility in 
some days by the absorption of water of crystallization. 
Mr. Deane and Dr. Attfield spoke strongly against the retention of this inconvenient 
and irregular preparation. It caused annoyance to the dispenser, who could not tell 
whether it would prove soluble or not, and it did not appear to have a single merit. 
EXPERIMENTS ON THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLE OF 
IIYOSCYAMUS. 
BY WILLIAM A. TILDEN, F.C.S. 
The plants of the Natural Order Solanacecc, to which the Hijoscyamus be¬ 
longs, present in general well-marked narcotic properties, and their active 
principles have, for the most part, been pretty completely studied. Henbane, 
however, seems to have been comparatively neglected, notwithstanding that 
it is in common and extensive use in the form of extract and tincture. It was 
on this account that I undertook some experiments upon the chemistry of 
tliis plant, hoping to have been able to establish the existence or non-exist¬ 
ence of the alkaloid it was said to contain, and, if possible, to add to our exist¬ 
ing knowledge by submitting the base itself and some of its compounds to 
analysis. The former is the only part of my original intention that hitherto 
I have been able to carry out. Either from the excessively minute quantity 
of the principle contained in the plant, or from its facility of decomposition 
when under the influence of chemical agents, I have been able to prepare at 
present a quantity only sufficient for its identification, and for making out 
some of its principal reactions. 
I first of all attempted to prepare “ hyoscyamine ” by operating upon the 
seeds of Hyoscyamus niger by the process adopted by G-ciger, and [described 
in the fourth volume of Gerhardt’s ‘ Chimie Organique.’ In this manner, 
however, I obtained only equivocal results. I then made another experiment 
upon the seeds, employing the process recommended by Sonneuschein for the 
detection and elimination of organic bases. This process is briefl}^ as follows : 
—The juice of the plant is collected, acidified with sulphuric acid, a.nd heated 
to coagulate albuminous matter, or an extract is prepared by means of acidu¬ 
lated alcohol or wuiter; by either plan a liquid is obtained, which is evapo¬ 
rated to a small bulk, allowed to stand, if necessary again filtered, and then 
mixed wdth excess,of the acid mixture of phosphate and mol 3 Udate of sodium, 
for the preparation of which directions are given. 
A precipitate is formed which contains the base in combination witli the 
“ phospho-molybdic ” acid ; it is collected, slightly washed, introduced still 
moist into a flask, and excess of caustic baryta added ; a cork is then fitted, 
and heat applied. Should volatile bases be present, they are distilled into a 
set of bulbs containing dilute hydrochloric acid. 
The iion-volatile bases which remain are afterwards obtained by rendering 
the excess of baryta insoluble by a stream of carbonic acid, and then ex¬ 
tracting with alcohol, which gives a solution of the base nearly in a state of 
purity. Here, again, I w^as unsuccessful, possibly because the hyoscyamine 
Avas altered by the caustic earth, with evolution of ammonia, a kind of change 
to which it is very subject. 
I next procured a quantity of freshly-prepared extract of the leaf, which 
was kindly furnished me from one of the first pharmaceutical establishments 
in London. Half a pound of this extract (corresponding to about 141b. of 
the leaves) w^as dissolved in about three pints of Avater, mixed with a very 
