Am.  Tour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  19 18. 
Stems  in  Belladonna  Herb. 
847 
TABLE  IV. 
Percentage  of  Ash,  Alcoholic  Extract  and  Total  Alkaloids  in  Successive 
Mixtures  of  Mixture  A  with  Portions  i  to  8  of  the  Stems. 
No. 
Mixture. 
Nature. 
Per  Cent, 
of  Total  Stems 
Present. 
Asn, 
Per  Cent. 
Alcoholic 
Extract, 
Per  Cent. 
Alkaloids, 
Per  Cent. 
A 
Leaves 1 
13.84 
26 
O.580 
B 
A  +  portion  i2 
6.51 
10.2 
26 
•5863 
C 
B  +  portion  2 
12.53 
10. II 
27.6 
•572 
D 
C  +  portion  3 
17.07 
10.05 
25.8 
.519 
E 
D  +  portion  4 
23.74 
9.46 
22 
.510 
F 
E  +  portion  5 
28.22 
9.28 
21.4 
•478 
G 
F  +  portion  6 
33-57 
9.09 
21.8 
.456 
H 
G  +  portion  7 
37.01 
8.83 
20.00 
•345 
I 
H  +  portion  8 
41.82 
8.71 
21.2 
•336 
allowed  in  the  herb  all  stems  above  5  Mm.  in  diameter  will  have  to  be 
excluded.  The  percentage  of  ash  decreases  with  the  admixture  of 
more  stems  from  13.84  to  8.71  per  cent.  The  percentage  of  alcoholic 
extract  also  decreases  slowly  from  26  to  21.2  per  cent,  while  the 
percentage  of  total  alkaloids  decreases  from'  0.58  to  0.336  per  cent. 
Graphs  V  and  VI  serve  to  illustrate  these  points.  Here  again  it  is 
shown,  as  in  the  first  part  of  the  paper,  that  all  the  stems  could  be 
included  in  the  herb  and  the  percentage  of  alkaloids  would  still  be 
higher  than  the  minimum  allowed  in  the  Pharmacopoeia.  However, 
where  a  poor  quality  of  herb  is  involved  in  which  the  percentage  of 
total  alkaloids  is  low  the  addition  of  all  the  stems  would  very  likely 
reduce  the  percentage  too  far. 
Taking  a  fair  quality  of  herb  such  as  is  readily  produced  in  this 
country,  as  an  example,  a  mixture  of  approximately  the  composition 
of  D  or  E  should  be  a  very  marketable  product.  Such  an  herb 
would  contain  about  20  per  cent,  of  -  stems  up  to  7  or  8  Mm.  in 
diameter  when  green.    It  would  contain  about  to  per  cent,  of  ash, 
1  Consists  of  all  leaves  and  buds,  flowers,  and  berries  but  contains  no 
stems  more  than  2  mm.  in  diameter. 
2  See  Table  III. 
3  Since  approximately  10  to  12  Gm.  of  material  had  to  be  removed  after 
the  addition  of  each  portion  to  make  the  several  determinations,  the  influence 
of  the  addition  of  the  succeeding  portion  of  stems  is  slightly  intensified,  and 
consequently,  since  the  effect  of  adding  the  stems  is  to  reduce  the  percentage 
of  alkaloids,  the  percentage  as  found  is  slightly  lower  than  it  would  have 
been  if  no  small  fraction  of  the  previous  mixture  has  been  removed.  How- 
ever, inasmuch  as  the  percentages  actually  obtained  are  thereby  reduced  the 
conclusions  based  on  these  results  are  in  no  wise  affected.  This  is  equally 
true  in  the  case  of  the  alcoholic  extract  and  the  ash. 
