230 
NOTE  ON  ATROPIA. 
solute  alcohol ;  to  this  solution  ether  was  added  until  precipita- 
tion was  established,  the  cloudiness  not  disappearing  on  shaking, 
and  the  flask,  well  stoppered,  was  left  to  stand  for  24  hours. 
Poured  off  from  the  remainder  of  the  salts  which  had  then  sep- 
arated, the  ether-alcoholic  solution  left,  on  evaporation,  a  non- 
cry  stalliz  able,  varnish-like  mass,  transparent  but  with  a  tinge  of 
brownish  yellow.  The  solution  in  water  of  this  substance  pos- 
sesses an  alkaline  reaction.  Though  soluble  in  a  small  proportion 
of  water,  more  of  the  latter  causes  a  turbidity,  which  should  be 
removed  by  filtration,  and  the  clear  filtrate  then  be  considered  a 
solution  of  the  pure  salt. 
Hydrochloric  acid  separates  from  the  watery  solution  the  new 
acid,  which  appears  at  first  in  the  form  of  drops  of  oil,  but  grad- 
ually solidifies  and  becomes  crystalline ;  being  but  little  soluble 
in  cold  water,  the  acid  can  be  freed  from  chloride  of  sodium  by 
means  of  water.  On  dissolving  it  in  hot  water  and  filtering,  it 
left  a  brownish  resin,  difficultly  soluble  in  water,  and  of  an  acid 
nature,  to  judge  from  its  solubility  in  carbonate  of  soda,  and  its 
separation  from  this  solution  by  other  acids.  This  appears  to  be 
a  product  of  the  decomposition  of  the  crystalline  acid ;  it  posses- 
ses an  odor  resembling  mead,  the  same  as  the  other  previous  to 
its  purification.  The  latter  crystallizes  in  brilliantly  white  rhom- 
bic plates  similar  to  those  of  benzoic  acid;  its  fusing  point  is  at 
208°  4  F.,  the  point  of  congelation  at  203°  F.  Its  vapor  has 
an  acrid  odor,  similar  to  that  of  benzoic  acid,  but  more  sweet- 
ish ;  in  the  oxidation  with  bichromate  of  potassa  and  sulphuric 
acid,  the  pungent  odor  of  benzoic  acid  was  more  prominent. 
The  crystals  are  free  from  nitrogen,  and  their  formula,  corres- 
ponding to  73*6  p.  c.  carbon  and  6*1  p.  c.  hydrogen,  is  expressed 
hyC48  H24  O10.  It  is  possible  that,  owing  to  the  presence  of  some 
of  the  resinous  acid,  these  numbers  are  somewhat  too  small,  and 
that  they  are  probably  better  represented  by  74-1  p.  c.  and  6*2 
p.  c,  which  would  give  C20  Hi0  O4  as  the  formula.  In  that  case 
this  acid  would  stand  to  cuminic  acid  in  the  same  relation  as 
acrylic  acid  to  propionic.  In  its  properties  it  shows  in  fact  a 
certain  resemblance  to  cuminic  acid. 
The  volatile  alkaloid  which  resulted  from  the  action  of  soda 
on  atropia  remained  on  evaporating  the  hydrochloric  liquid  in  the 
