868  Decomposition  of  Atropine.         { AmDJcour19f1harm 
tically  the  whole  of  the  liberated  gas  is  driven  out  of  the  flask.  This 
amount,  if  10  grms.  of  the  material  be  taken,  would  represent 
0.0025  per  cent,  of  sulphur  dioxide,  0.175  grain  per  lb.,  or  1.75 
grains  per  gallon  respectively. 
By  using  a  weaker  solution  of  iodine  the  test  could  be  made 
more  sensitive,  but  for  a  routine  qualitative  test  the  strength  sug- 
gested makes  it  sufficiently  delicate  for  the  amounts  usually  met 
with. 
Traces  of  hydrogen  sulphide  do  not  seriously  interfere  with  this 
method,  but  in  practice  1  cc.  of  a  5  per  cent,  solution  of  copper  sul- 
phate is  added  to  the  other  ingredients  when  testing  meat  or  fish, 
and  this  will  retain  as  much  hydrogen  sulphide  as  is  likely  to  be 
present. 
DECOMPOSITION  OF  ATROPINE* 
By  D.  B.  Dott. 
Though  it  is  a  well-recognized  fact  that  atropine  or  hyoscya- 
mine  is  readily  saponified  by  soda  or  baryta,  forming  tropine  and 
tropate,  there  seems  little  information  available  as  to  the  stability  of 
the  alkaloid  under  other  conditions.  The  following  experiments  are 
of  interest : 
1.  A  weak  solution  of  atropine  sulphate  was  divided  into  three 
portions  of  20  cc.  each:  (a)  without  any  addition;  (b)  with  2  cc. 
dilute  sulphuric  acid;  (c)  with  6  cc.  dilute  sulphuric  acid.  After 
eighteen  hours  the  alkaloid  was  determined  in  the  usual  way,  the 
amount  found  being  in  each  case  exactly  the  same,  0.164  gm. 
2.  A  weak  solution  of  the  atropine  salt  was  divided  into  three 
equal  volumes:  (a)  left  plain;  (b)  with  2  cc.  solution  of  ammonia; 
(c)  with  6  cc  solution  of  ammonia.  After  eighteen  hours  the 
chloroform-soluble  alkaloid  was  estimated: 
(a)  =  0.236  gm. 
(b)  =0.173  gm. 
(c)  =0.133  gm. 
3.  Solution  of  atropine  salt,  divided  into  three  equal  volumes; 
(a)  left  slightly  acid;  (b)  with  sodium  carbonate  in  excess;  (c) 
*From  The  Pharm.  Journ.  and  Pharm.,  October,  1921. 
