356  Atropia  from  Belladonna  Leaves.  {A\l™Xisn™' 
tes  is  not  a  simple  glycosuria,  but  that  its  morbid  process  consists  in 
an  altogether  special  alteration  of  the  functions  of  assimilation  and 
nutrition. — Journ.  de  Pharm.  d'Anvers,  1872,  May,  204,  from  G-az. 
Med.  de  Paris. 
A  New  Property  of  Collodion. — At  a  recent  session  of  the  Berlin 
Society  of  Natural  Sciences  some  explanations  were  made  concerning 
a  discovery  of  Mr.  Kleffel,  which  is  likely  to  lead  to  some  useful  ap- 
plications. Kleffel  found  that  if  a  glass-plate  is  covered  with  collo- 
dion, and,  after  this  has  become  solid,  a  printed  paper  is  pressed  upon 
it  with  the  hand,  an  impression  of  the  letters  is  left  upon  the  collo- 
dion, remaining  discernible  after  the  complete  drying  of  the  latter. 
The  impression  is  best  seen  in  transparent  or  in  reflected  light,  after 
breathing  upon  the  plate,  the  letters  being  depressed  and  clear,  while 
the  other  portions  are  opaque. — Pharmac.  Zeitung,  1872,  No.  50. 
ON  THE  PREPARATION   OF  ATROPIA  FROM  BELLADONNA 
LEAVES. 
By  J.  Lefort. 
Dry  and  coarsely  contused  belladonna  leaves  are  exhausted  by  boil- 
ing water  containing  10  grm.  tartaric  acid  for  each  kilogramme  of  the 
leaves  ;  the  decoction  is  strained  and  evaporated  to  a  soft  extract, 
which  is  treated  with  strong  alcohol  heated  to  50°  C.  (122°  F.),  to  dis- 
solve the  tartrate  of  atropia.  By  treating  the  extract  three  or  four 
times,  only  about  a  litre  of  alcohol  is  required  for  about  200  grm. 
of  extract,  the  approximate  yield  of  1  kilogramme  of  leaves.  From 
the  dark  brown  tincture  the  alcohol  is  distilled  off,  leaving  about  50 
grm.  of  extract  of  a  thick  syrupy  consistence,  which  in  a  suitable 
flask  is  agitated  with  one  or  two  portions  of  ether,  to  remove  a  little 
resin  and  chlorophyll.  The  extract  is  now  treated  with  a  fresh  por- 
tion of  ether  and  with  a  solution  of  8  grm.  of  caustic  potassa  in  half 
its  weight  of  water;  on  agitation,  a  little  ammonia  is  disengaged 
from  an  ammoniacal  salt,  normally  contained  in  the  leaves,  and  the 
liberated  atropia  dissolves  in  the  ether,  which  is  several  times  re- 
newed to  completely  exhaust  the  alkaloid.  The  ether  is  now  dis- 
tilled off,  leaving  a  transparent,  yellowish-brown,  semi-solid  extract, 
which  is  dissolved  in  water  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid.  A  little 
resin  is  separated  by  filtration,  bicarbonate  of  soda  is  added  until  ef- 
fervescence ceases,  when,  on  agitating  with  ether,  all  the  atropia  will 
