Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
Dec,  1921. 
Decomposition  of  Atropine. 
869 
with  ammonia  in  slight  excess.  After  forty-eight  hours  the  alka- 
loid dissolved  with  chloroform,  etc. : 
(a)  =0.236  gm. 
(b)  =  0.161  gm. 
(c)  =0.158  gm. 
4.  Solution  similarly  divided:  (a)  faintly  acid;  (b)  0.5  gm. 
sodium  carbonate;  (c)  0.5  gm.  sodium  bicarbonate.  After  sixteen 
hours,  alkaloid  was  estimated  as  usual: 
(a)  =0.158  gm. 
(b)  =0.104  gm. 
(c)  =0.144  gm- 
5.  Extract  of  belladonna,  diluted,  acidified  and  extracted  by 
chloroform,  as  B.  P.  directs,  in  two  equal  volumes:  (a)  left  acid 
for  sixteen  hours;  (b)  with  excess  of  ammonia,  left  for  some 
time : 
(a)  =  0.75  per  cent,  as  atropine. 
(b)  =  0.63  per  cent. 
6.  Extract  of  belladonna,  watery  acid  solution  divided  into 
three  equal  volumes:  (a)  left  for  sixteen  hours,  and  alkaloid  quickly 
determined  in  usual  way;  (b)  with  excess  of  sodium  bicarbonate; 
(c)  with  excess  of  ammonia,  also  left  for  sixteen  hours  before  ex- 
tracting the  alkaloids : 
(a)  =  1.03  per  cent. 
(b)  =  0.91  per  cent. 
(c)  =0.52  per  cent. 
7.  Extract  of  belladonna,  aqueous  solution  similarly  divided 
and  treated,  the  alkaloids  being  estimated  in  each  case  after  forty 
minutes : 
(a)  left  slightly  acid  =  1.00  per  cent. 
(b)  excess  of  sodium  bicarb.  =0.94  per  cent. 
(c)  excess  of  ammonia  =  0.86  per  cent. 
The  results,  no  doubt,  vary  according  to  concentration  of  the 
solution,  as  well  as  to  proportion  of  alkali  to  alkaloid.  It  might 
be  worth  while  to  try  comparative  experiments  with  hyoscyamine 
and  atropine,  as  to  rate  of  decomposition  under  the  same  condi- 
tions. 
