346 
Criticism  of  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia, 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
August,  1914. 
of  the  commercial  preparations  has  been  observed  by  medical  practi- 
tioners is  amply  supplied  in  the  literature.  In  fact,  the  references 
are  too  numerous  to  be  included  in  this  paper.  However,  the  state- 
ment of  Finnemore  and  Braithwaite35  in  connection  with  the  use  of 
hyoscine  and  scopolamine  hydrobromides  by  English  physicians  is 
quoted  because  of  the  direct  application : 
"  Anaesthetists  have  expressed  a  preference  for  the  German 
preparations  sold  under  the  name  of  '  Scopolamine  hydrobromide ' 
owing  to  the  variable  results  obtained  following  the  administration 
of  the  product  known  as  '  Hyoscine  hydrobromide.' 
On  the  Tests  eor  Identity  and  Purity. 
The  chemical  and  physical  properties  of  scopolamine  and  its 
salts  have  been  quite  thoroughly  worked  up  by  E.  Schmidt,  O.  Hesse, 
Gadamer,  and  others.  There  is,  however,  some  uncertainty  con- 
cerning the  melting-points  of  the  chloraurates  of  both  the  1-  and  i- 
scopolamine,  the  greater  number  of  the  investigators  confirming  the 
results  obtained  by  Schmidt.  The  following  tables  show  the  im- 
portant physical  constants  of  the  hydrobromides  as  obtained  by 
various  investigators  and  as  given  in  the  United  States,  British,  and 
German  Pharmacopoeias : 
TABLE  NO.  3. 
Name  of 
investigator. 
Stero- 
isomer. 
M.  P.  of 
the  anhy- 
drous salt. 
M.  P.  of 
the  chlo- 
raurate. 
M.  P.  of 
the  hydro- 
brom-chlo- 
raurate. 
M.  P.  of 
the  picrate. 
Specific  ro- 
tatory 
power  in 
aqueous 
solution. 
E.  Schmidt*  
Laevo- 
Inactive 
Inactive 
Lsevo- 
193-194° 
i8o° 
212-2140 
208-2100 
208° 
208-2090 
205° 
198° 
201-202° 
187-188° 
-25°  43' 
0° 
0° 
-25°52' 
E.  Schmidt  
Kircher38  
Thorns  and  Wentzel39. 
0.  Hesse40  

Laevo- 
Inactive 
Laevo- 
192-1970 
1810 
-25. 7°  to 
-25-9° 
0° 
0.  Hesse  
Jowett41  
About  215 
35  Year-Book  of  Pharm.  and  Trans.  (1912),  p.  498. 
36  Arch.  d.  Pharm.  (1898),  236,  p.  59. 
37  Ann.  d.  Chem.  (1900),  310,  p.  352. 
38  Arch.  d.  Phar.  (1905),  243,  p.  321. 
39  Ber.  d.  deutsch.  chem.  Gcs.  (1898),  31,  p.  2037. 
40  Journ.  f.  prakt.  Chem,  (1901),  64,  2,  p.  364. 
^Journ.  Chem.  Soc.  (1897),  71,  p.  678. 
