344 
Criticism  of  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(      August,  1914. 
Scopolamin. 
Inactive 
Scopolamin. 
Scopoleine. . 
Scopoleins. . 
Scopolin. . . . 
Schmidt,  1890  =  Ci7H2iN04,  isolated  from  Scopolia  japonica. 
Schiitte,  1 89 1  =Ci7H2iN04,  isolated  from  Datura  stramonium. 
Schmidt,  1892  =  Ci7H2iN04,  isolated  from  Datura  stramonium,  Du- 
boisia  myoporoides,  and  Atropa  belladonna. 
E.  Merck,  1894  =  d7H21N04,  isolated  from  Scopolia  root. 
Thorns  and  Wentzel,  1898  =  C17H21NCX1,  isolated  from  Mandragora 
root. 
Schmidt,  1896  =  Ci7H2iN04,  the  optically  inactive  isomer. 
fLangaard,  1881  =a  mixture  of  alkaloids  from  Scopolia  japonica, 
\  principally  C]7H2iN04. 
<!  Firm  of  Merck,  1898  = esters  of  the  base,  C8Hi:jN02. 
-{Bender,  1890  =  CnH2iN04,  isolated  from  Scopolia  japonica. 
TABLE  NO.  2. 
Official  Names  and  Synonyms  of  the  Hydrobromide. 
British  Pharmacopoeia,  1898. 
Hyoscinae  hydrobromicum  
Hyoscine  hydrobromide  
Hydrobromate  of  hyoscine  
Scopolamine  hydrobromide  
Hyoscinae  hydrobromidum  
Hyoscine  hydrobromide  
Hyoscinae  hydrobromas,  1890  ^United  States  Pharmacopoeia,  1905. 
Scopolaminae  hydrobromidum  | 
Scopolamine  hydrobromide  J 
Neither  the  free  base  nor  its  salt,  the  hydro- \™       ,  ^  0 
bromide,  is  official  :   ...  .  j  French  Pharmacopoeia,  1908. 
Bromidato  di  Scopolamina  ^Italian  Pharmacopoeia,  1909. 
IS^^dS^micum:::::: : : :  :}G—  p— op^a,  t9I0. 
On  the  Physiological  Action  of  Scopolamine. 
Scopolamine  is  an  ester  of  tropic  acid  and  the  base,  scopolin,20 
and,  like  the  closely  related  hyoscyamine,  may  exist  in  three  stereo- 
isomeric  forms.  Two  of  these,  the  kevo-  and  racemic  forms,  are 
known.  These  isomers,  like  those  of  nicotine27  and  hyoscyamine,28 
differ  in  their  physiological  action  as  well  as  in  their  chemical  and 
physical  properties. 
The  early  investigators  who  attempted  to  discover  a  difference  in 
the  physiological  action  of  the  two  isomers  did  not  work  with  the 
material  prepared  in  their  own  laboratories,  and  very  probably 
used  the  salts  in  an  impure  state ;  i.e.,  as  mixtures  of  the  two  isomers 
or  with  small  amounts  of  other  impurities29  present.    Add  to  this 
2t;  Gadamer,  Arch.  d.  Pharm.  (1901),  239,  p.  321. 
27  Ber.  d.  deutsch.  chem.  Ges.  (1904),  37,  p.  1234. 
28  Cushny,  Journ.  of  Physiol.  (1904),  30,  p.  176. 
29  Schmidt,  Scopolamine  hydrobromide  with  a  low  specific  rotatory  power 
contains  a  small  amount  of  an  impurity  not  easily  detected. — Arch.  d.  Pharm. 
(1905),  243,  p.  4. 
