THE  AMEEICAH" 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
OCTOBER,  i9o8 
SOME  OF  THE  DISTINGUISHING  MORPHOLOGICAL 
CHARACTERS  OF  BELLADONNA  AND  SCOPOLIA* 
By  Henry  Kraemer. 
Atropa  Belladonna  and  Scop  alia  camiolica  are  both  members  of 
the  Solanacecc  and  stand  in  close  relationship.  The  former  belongs 
to  the  Solanece-Lyciincc,  or  group  of  plants  characterized  by  tubular 
corollas  and  berry-like  fruits,  and  the  latter  to  the  Solanecc-Hyo- 
scydniince,  or  plants  with  funnel-shaped  corolla  and  transversely 
dehiscent  capsular  fruits.  To  this  latter  sub-group  also  belongs 
the  genus  Hyoscyamus,  and  botanically  Scopolia  appears  to  be 
more  closely  allied  to  Hyoscyamus  than  to  Belladonna. 
According  to  v.  Wettstein,1  Atropa  Belladonna  is  found  through- 
out Europe,  extending  to  the  Caucasus  Mountains  and  Persia.  The 
plant  is  also  cultivated  in  Europe,  and  in  some  localities  in  the 
United  States.  The  leaves  and  flowering  tops  are  official  in  probably 
all  of  the  pharmacopoeias,  while  the  roots  are  official  in  only  some 
of  these  standard  authorities.  Both  the  roots  and  herb  have  been 
carefully  investigated  microscopically  2  and  chemically,  but  the  sub- 
ject can  not  be  considered  to  be  exhausted,  particularly  in  view 
of  the  necessity  of  differentiating  them  from  other  drugs  which  are 
mixed  with,  or  substituted  for,  them. 
While  Scopolia  corniolica  was  described  by  the  earlier  botanists 
and  while  it  has  been  used  medicinally  for  many  years,  it  is  only 
*  Read  before  the  Scientific  Section  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association,  September,  1908. 
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