io6 
Assay  of  Belladonna  Leaves. 
( Am.  Jour.  Phartu. 
I      March,  18M). 
a  few  stems  and  some  flowers  and  some  rather  immature  fruits. 
The  drug  appears  to  have  been  collected  some  time  during  the 
middle  of  summer.  Most  of  the  leaves  are  of  a  green  color  upon 
both  surfaces ;  the  upper  surface  of  the  others  is  of  a  brownish 
color,  the  lower  being  greenish. 
"(3)  The  German  Wild  Drug  \s  made  up  of  leaves,  numerous 
stems,  and  shows  some  indications  of  the  entire  plant  (when  a  year 
or  two  old)  having  been  collected.  There  are  numerous  mature 
fruits,  which  indicate  that  this  specimen  was  collected  later  in  the 
season  than  the  other  two  specimens.  The  leaves  vary  in  color  from 
an  etiolated,  yellowish  green  to  brownish-black.  The  latter  color 
indicates  that  little  or  no  care  was  exercised  in  drying  the  drug," 
The  samples  were  then  ground  and  used  in  the  following  work: 
ASSAY  OF  THE  LEAVES. 
The  method  of  C.  C.  Keller  was  looked  upon  favorably,  and 
selected  for  the  determination  of  the  alkaloids.  The  writer  regrets 
that  he  was  not  able  to  see  the  original  publication  in  the  Schweiz. 
Wochenschrift  fur  Pharm.  u.  Chemie,  and  therefore  had  to  content 
himself  with  the  following  abstract  from  the  Proc.  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc., 
1895,  PP.  536  and  541  : 
Belladonna  leaves,  No.  80  powder 
(dried  over  CaO  or  H2S04)  .    25  grammes. 
Ether   100 
Chloroform  25 
Ammonia  water,  10  per  cent.    .  .  10 
Water  40 
Pour  off  ...  .  100       "  (=20  grammes  drug). 
Place  the  drug  in  a  bottle  of  250  c.c.  capacity,  add  the  ether  and 
chloroform,  agitate  for  ten  minutes,  then  add  the  ammonia  water 
and  agitate  vigorously ;  continue  maceration  for  one-half  hour,  add 
the  water  and  agitate  thoroughly  to  gather  the  drug  in  lumps  so 
that  the  solution  can  be  poured  off  clear.  In  case  100  grammes 
cannot  be  obtained  at  first,  pour  off  as  much  as  possible,  and  by 
gentle  motion  of  the  bottle,  held  in  a  horizontal  position  and  allow- 
ing it  to  rest  for  a  short  time,  the  balance  may  be  obtained.  The 
solution  is  transferred  to  a  separatory  funnel  and  agitated  with 
diluted  hydrochloric  acid  (0-5  to  I  per  cent.)  in  portions  of  25,  15 
and  10  c.c.  respectively.  These  acid  solutions  are  then  placed  in 
a  clean  separatory  funnel,  made  alkaline  with  ammonia  and  treated 
