464 
Constitution  of  Atropine. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      Sept.,  1883. 
soluble  in  water  and  alcohol.  The  aurochloride,  C17H23NO3AUCI4H, 
crystallizes  in  yellow  needles,  which  melt  under  water,  but  when  dry 
melt  at  112-114°,  sparingly  soluble  in  cold  water.  SalicyliG  tropeine, 
CijHjgNOs,  is  obtained  from  tropine  salicylate ;  it  does  not  act  on  the 
pupils  of  the  eye ;  the  platinochloride  has  the  composition  (C^gHjgNOj. 
HCl)2,PtCl4,  the  aurochloride,  CisHigNOg.HCljAuClg.  Hydroxyhenzo- 
tropeine  can  be  partially  distilled  without  decomposing,  whilst  the 
remainder  is  carbonized.  It  has  a  slightly  alkaline  reaction,  and  is 
soluble  both  in  acids  and  in  soda.  It  crystallizes  without  water  of 
crystallization.  It  does  not  act  on  the  eye  as  energetically  as  atropine. 
The  nitrate  is  moderately  soluble,  and  is  colored  yellow  when  boiled 
with  excess  of  nitric  acid.  Iodine  gives  rise  to  a  crystalline  mixture 
of  tri-  and  pentiodide.  The  mercuro-  and  stanno -chlorides  have  been 
obtained,  the  former  in  colorless  leaflets,  the  latter  in  tufts  of  white 
needles.  Other  precipitates  are  formed  with  tannic  acid,  potassium 
mercuric  iodide,  potassium  ferri-  and  ferro-cyanide,  and  phosphomo- 
lybdic  acid.  The  simple  salts  of  parahydroxyhenzotrojpeine,  Q^^^g^O^, 
are  mostly  soluble,  the  nitrate  crystallizing  in  prisms  only  sparingly 
soluble ;  this  salt  is  turned  yellow  by  boiling  with  nitric  acid.  It  gives 
precipitates  with  all  the  various  reagents  mentioned  above ;  the  mercu- 
rcchloride,  IIgCl2,Ci5lIi9N03,HCl,H20,  crystallizes  in  needles. 
Benzotropeine,  Q^Ji^^O^,  Additional  remarks :  it  distils  without 
leaving  a  residue.  The  nitrate  is  sparingly  soluble,  and  is  turned  yel- 
low by  boiling  with  nitric  acid.  The  aurochloride  forms  microscopic 
needles,  slightly  soluble  in  water,  easily  in  alcohol.  It  gives  precipi- 
tate with  the  usual  reagents.  Phenylacetotropelne,  CigH2iN02,  sulphate 
forms  colorless  needles.  Oinnamyl  tropeine,  C17II21ISO2,  can  be  pre- 
pared either  from  cinnamic  acid,  tropine,  and  hydrochloric  acid,  or  by 
treating  phenylacetic  acid  in  a  similar  manner.  It  has  scarcely  any 
mydriatic  action,  but  is  a  powerful  poison.  Atropyltropeine  and  phtha- 
lyltropeine  are  the  last  of  the  series  of  the  compounds  described  in  this 
paper.  The  author  then  passes  on  to  his  work  on  the  constitution  and 
synthesis  of  tropic  acid,  from  the  results  of  which  he  arrives  at  the 
constitution  CH2(0II).CIIPh.C00H  for  that  acid.  With  regard  to 
the  constitution  of  tropine,  the  author  finds  that  when  it  is  heated  with 
soda-lime,  methylamine  and  a  hydrocarbon  like  tropilidene,  CyHg,  stand 
prominent  amongst  the  products,  so  that  the  principal  reaction  may  be 
represented  by  the  equation  C8Hi5NO=NH2.CH3-fC7Hg+H20.  When 
tropine  is  decomposed  with  acids,  it  gives  rise  to  tropidine;  the  best 
