THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
MAY,  i9o8 
HYOSCYAMUS  MUTICUS. 
By  Edwin  Dowzard. 
The  nature  of  the  alkaloid  occurring  in  Hyoscyamus  muticus  was 
notknown until  Dunstan  and  Brown  (Journ.  Ckem.  Soc.  Trans. ,  1899) 
proved  that  hyoscyamine  was  the  sole  alkaloidal  constituent.  This 
work  was  done  on  material  obtained  from  India,  the  drug  contained 
about  O-i  per  cent,  of  alkaloid.  In  a  subsequent  note  Dunstan  and 
Brown  (Proc.  Chem.  Soc,  1900)  reported  that  Hyoscyamus  muticus 
grown  in  Egypt  is  much  richer  in  hyoscyamine  than  the  Indian 
variety.  Gadamer  (Arck.  Pkarm.,  1898,  236,  704)  also  states  that  the 
Egyptian  variety  contains  a  much  larger  proportion  of  alkaloid. 
Ransom  and  Henderson  (Year  Book  of  Pharm.,  1903)  have  exam- 
ined the  latter  variety  with  the  following  results  : 
Percentage  of  alkaloid 
in  the  dried  drug. 
1.  Stalk,  etc  0*498 
2.  Leaf,  etc.  0*900 
3.  Seed  capsule  C585 
According  to  Floyer  (Year  Book  Pharm.,  1933) :.  "  The  plant  gro  ws 
wild  all  over  Egypt,  where  it  is  known  by  the  name  of  'Sakran/ 
the  drunken.  In  the  rich  soil  of  the  Valley  of  the  Nile  the  plant 
luxuriates,  and  one  shrub  weighs  when  fresh  as  much  as  sixty  pounds. 
There  it  makes  large  succulent  leaves,  but  does  not  give  a  very  large 
amount  of  seeds.  In  light  sandy  soil  the  plant  has  less  leaf  and 
more  flowers,  and  in  coarse  sandy  soil  the  root  is  very  largely  devel- 
(201) 
