38 
ATROPINE , DATURINE, AND ACONITINE. 
which became brittle on cooling ; on the reapplication of heat, 
and again allowing it to cool, it was converted into stellate groups 
of crystals. At 284° a portion is volatilized undecomposed, but the 
greater portion is destroyed. Heated upon platinum foil, it melts, 
puffs up, giving off white fumes, and burns with a bright flame, 
leaving a shining black cinder, which finally disappears entirely. 
Atropine has a strong alkaline reaction, and combines with acids, 
forming salts, which appear mostly not to crystallize ; they are 
soluble in water and alcohol, but very sparingly in ether, especially 
the muriate and sulphate. On pouring a concentrated alcholic 
solution of the muriate into ether, a syrupy solution separates, which 
did not crystallize after long standing in ice, nor was it possible to 
obtain the neutral muriate of atropine crystallized by retaining it 
for several days at a temperature of 86°-104°. The solution of the 
muriate of atropine furnishes pulverulent precipitates with potash, 
ammonia and carbonate of potash, but only with very concentrated 
solutions, and they dissolve very readily in an excess of the reagent. 
Carbonate of ammonia, bicarbonate of soda and phosphate of soda 
give no precipitates ; perchloride of gold produces a sulphur-co- 
loured crystallineprecipitate, which is sparingly soluble in muriatic 
acid ; chloride of platinum gives a pulverulent precipitate, which 
cakes together like a resin and is very readily soluble in muriatic 
acid. The sodio-chloride of iridium gives no precipitate ; perchlo- 
ride of mercury gives one, but only in very concentrated solutions. 
The potassio-iodide of mercury produces a very heavy, whitish, 
caseous precipitate, which contracts considerably upon the addition 
of muriatic acid. Iodide and sulphocyanide of potassium give no 
precipitate; tincture of iodine strikes a kermes-brown coiour ; iodic 
acid, in the cold, no colour. With tincture of galls, a dense flocculent 
precipitate is obtained, but only after the addition of muriatic acid, in 
the excess of which it dissolves somewhat. Nitropicric acid pro- 
duces a sulphur-coloured pulverulent precipitate ; nitric acid causes 
no change either alone or on the addition of protochloride of tin. 
Atropine, dried under the air-pump, furnished, on an average of 
three analyses, Carbon 70.23, Hydrogen 8.23, Nitrogen 5.26, Oxy- 
gen 16.28, equivalent to the formula C 34 H 25 N0 6 = 289. 
Daturine, C 3 ' H 23 NO R . — The analysis of daturine led the author 
to the remarkable result, that daturine is identical with atropine. 
The preparation examined consisted of fascicles of colourless bright 
