284 
Pharmacological  Notes. 
J Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
X      June,  1899. 
However,  the  following  statements  may  be  said  to  fairly  represent 
the  present  status  of  our  knowledge  concerning  the  chemistry  of 
this  alkaloidal  family : 
(1)  The  different  members  of  the  Solanaceae,  namely,  Atropa,  Hyo- 
scyamus,  Datura,  Mandragora,  Solanum  and  Anisodus,  contain  two 
principal  alkaloids,  one  of  the  composition  C17H23N03,  the  other  of 
the  composition  C17H21N04 ;  so  that  the  second  may  be  viewed  as  an 
oxidation  product  of  the  first. 
(2)  The  first  mentioned  is  hyoscyamin,  which  is  easily  converted 
by  alkalies  into  atropin.  While  the  latter  principle  may  exist,  as 
such,  in  small  quantities  in  the  above  mentioned  species,  it  is  alto- 
gether possible  that  hyoscyamin  is  the  form  the  alkaloid  takes  in  the 
living  plant,  while  atropin  is  the  form  in  which  it  appears  in  the 
dead  plant. 
(3)  The  second  base  is  hyoscin,  or  what  amounts  to  the  same 
thing — scopolamine  It  would  appear  that  in  the  presence  of  alka- 
lies hyoscin  undergoes  a  change  similar  to  that  of  hyoscyamin,  and 
it  then  becomes  inactive  1  scopolamin  or  atroscin. 
(4)  Further,  hyoscyamin  and  atropin,  by  separation  of  a  mole- 
cule of  water,  become  apo-atropin  or  atropamin,  which  is  isomeric 
with  belladonnin. 
(5)  Hyoscin,  whose  hydrobromat  is  orificialis  derived  principally 
from  the  root  of  Scopolia  atropoides,  and  contains  in  addition  to 
hyoscin  (which  dilates  the  pupil)  inactive1  atroscin  (which  does 
not),  and  traces  of  hyoscyamin  and  atropin. 
(6)  Finally,  there  is  present  in  duboisin  not  only  hyoscyamin,  but 
also  hyoscin  and  other  alkaloids  that  are  as  yet  little  understood. 
translator's  note. 
The  spirited  controversy  that  has  been  waged  the  past  few  years 
over  the  chemical  identity  or  non-identity  of  hyoscin  and  scopo- 
lamin cannot  but  be  more  or  less  misleading  to  the  pharmaceutical 
and  medical  student.  And  for  this  reason,  if  for  no  other,  it  may  be 
just  as  well  for  the  translator  to  state  that — for  once — the  chemists 
may  be  left  to  themselves.    In  this  particular  instance,  pharma- 
1 1  construe  the  word  "inactive,"  as  here  used  by  the  author,  to  mean  that 
the  drug  is  without  influence  over  the  pupil  of  the  eye. — W.  R. 
