ON ANNUAL AND BIENNIAL HYOSCYAMUS. 
305 
The tincture of litmus is not decolorised on the addition of 
sulphuric acid to a weak solution of nitrate of potassa, although 
this salt may be accompanied by several percent, of chloride of 
sodium or any other chloride; this effect is produced only in 
case the solution of the nitrate contains the chloride in a very 
concentrated state. 
Journ. de Pharm. and de Chim. 
ART. XLIX. — ON ANNUAL AND BIENNIAL HYOSCYAMUS. 
By Joseph Houlton, M. D. 
I beg leave to direct the attention of the Pharmaceutical 
Society to the consideration of an annual cultivated hyoscya- 
mus which is now in season, and which has so much of the 
appearance of the true hyoscyamus niger, that it may be easily 
taken for that plant; yet a practised botanical eye can readily 
detect the difference. 
Observing in that excellent work of Dr. Pereira's on Ma- 
teria Medica, that there is an annual variety cultivated at 
Mitcham, I wrote to Mr. Tipple, surgeon of that place, who 
politely furnished me with some of the seeds, which I sowed 
in my garden in March last, and the plants are now in 
flower. 
The flowering period of the true indigenous hyoscyamus 
niger is now, I believe, past, yet I have some reason to think 
that we shall for some weeks to come be supplied with a fine 
fresh flowering hyoscyamus, that is the annual. I was yes- 
terday in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Regent's Park, 
where I saw plenty of the annual but none of the biennial hy- 
