ON  ATROPIA. 
231 
receiver,  as  hydro-chlorate  in  the  form  of  deliquescent  acicular 
crystals,  handsomely  arranged  in  concentric  groups,  aborescent 
at  the  margins.  This  is  the  only  product  to  be  found,  besides 
traces  of  ammonia,  which  appear  to  be  accidental,  and  a  minute 
quantity  of  some  resinous  matter,  easily  removed  by  solution  in 
water  and  filtering.  Much  less  in  proportion  of  this  base  was 
obtained  than  of  the  acid.  Two  grammes  of  atropia  yielded  1-65 
grains  of  the  soda  salt,  but  only  -3  of  a  gramme  of  the  hydro- 
chlorate  of  the  alkaloid. 
From  the  latter  the  alkaloid  was  obtained  in  the  free  state  by 
means  of  caustic  soda,  as  an  oily  liquid  of  a  faint  ammoniacal 
and  peculiarly  sweet  odor.  The  solution  of  the  hydrochlorate 
mixed  with  chloride  of  platinum  yielded  a  soft  resinous  compound 
not  fitted  for  analysis,  while  chloride  of  gold  appeared  to  form 
a  double  salt  soluble  in  water.  Three  combustions  were  made 
with  small  quantities  of  the  hydrochlorate,  0*1  gramme  for 
each,  and  the  resulting  numbers,  though  they  have  as  yet  no  pos- 
itive claims  of  correctness,  will  serve  to  give  an  ilea  of  the  pro- 
portions in  which  the  constituents  are  combined.  The  numbers 
found  were  54*4  p.  c.  of  carbon,  10  p.  c.  of  hydrogen,  20*7  p.  c. 
of  chlorine,  10'1  p.  c.  of  nitrogen  ;  the  loss  of  4*8  p.  c.  must  be 
attributed  to  hygroscopic  water,  and  consequently  this  base  is 
free  from  oxygen.  Further  investigations  will  have  to  be  made 
in  order  to  establish  its  true  formula. 
The  result  of  the  action  of  soda  on  atropia  is  therefore  a  de- 
composition of  the  alkaloid  into  an  acid  and  a  base;  from  which 
follows  that  it  will  have  to  be  ranged  among  the  amides. — Anna- 
len  der  Chemie  u.  Pharm.  Band  cxxviii.  p.  273.— F.  F.  M. 
ON  ATROPIA* 
By  Dr.  K.  Kraut,  of  Gcettingen. 
It  has  been  known,  ever  since  the  discovery  of  this  alkaloid,  or 
rather  even  before  it  had  been  isolated,  that  the  narcotic  principle  of 
belladonna  underwent  decomposition  by  treatment  with  alkalies 
as  well  as  concentrated  acids.    Nothing  very  definite  has  ever 
been  published  in  regard  to  these  decompositions,  beyond  the  dis- 
covery of  an  acid  resembling  benzoic  in  belladonna,  by  W.  Richter, 
*  Translated  for  this  Journal  by  Prof.  F.  F.  Mayer,  of  New  York. 
