the  ameeica: 
JOURNAL  OF  PU^lM^y 
MARCH,  1914  Vir^  ^ y    ^ ^ 
DISTRIBUTION  OF  ALKALOIDS  IN  THE,B^LAD©NNA} | 
PLANT.*  VX^e^  <CJ 
By  A.  F.  Sievers,  Chemical  Biologist, 
Office  of  Drug  Plant  Investigations;  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry. 
In  connection  with  an  investigation  of  the  individual  variation 
of  the  alkaloidal  content  of  belladonna  plants,  it  was  desirable  to 
determine  the  relative  distribution  of  the  alkaloids  in  the  plant.  In 
this  article  are  presented  the  results  of  a  complete,  detailed  examina- 
tion of  a  number  of  such  individual  plants.  The  conclusions  that  may 
be  drawn  from  these  results  are  interesting  in  that  they  indicate  a 
number  of  facts  concerning  the  relative  therapeutic  value  of  various 
parts  of  the  plant  which  may  be  of  economic  significance.  Further- 
more, a  definite  knowledge  of  such  a  distribution  may  eventually 
add  to  our  information  concerning  the  role  of  the  alkaloids  in  the 
physiological  processes  of  the  plant. 
In  determining  the  alkaloids  it  was  frequently  necessary  to  assay 
very  small  samples.  The  method  employed  was  that  of  the  U.  S. 
Pharmacopoeia  with  some  modifications  of  the  technique  to  make 
the  process  applicable  to  small  samples.  These  modifications  have 
been  described  in  some  previous  articles.1  Analyses  were  made  of 
first  and  third  year  plants. 
Third- Year  Plants. 
The  analyses  of  the  third-year  plants  were  made  in  June,  when 
they  were  in  full  bloom.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  most  of  these 
were  reserved  for  other  work,  only  four  individual  plants  could  be 
*  Published  by  permission  of  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture. 
1  Merck's  Report,  August,  1910,  p.  215;  Journal  of  the  American  Pharma- 
ceutical Assn.,  March,  1912,  p.  199. 
(97) 
