854
ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.
donna), which are to be carefully dried. The leaves, when fresh, h a 'feeble, bitterish, sub-acid taste. „
Composition. —The leaves of belladonna were analyzed, in E ’bvMelandri {Ann. de Chim. lxv. 222); the expressed juice , in * .
Vauquelin {Ibid, lxxii. 53); and the dried herb, in 1819, by ^ ral u(Ginelin’s Handb. d. Chem. ii. 1305). Besides these there haveseveral less complete examinations of this plant by other cheuwhich have yielded more or less interesting results.
Brandes's Analysis.
Supermalate of Atropia ....... 1'®-
Pseudo-toxin with nialate of atropia and potash salts . .
Chlorophylle ......... 5'84
Pbytocolla (a nitrogenous substance insoluble in alcohol) . 0 90
Gum .......... 8'3-i
Starch .......... 1'-^
Albumen.10'70
Lignin.13.70
Salts.7-47
Water.25'50
Loss.205
Dried herb of Belladonna
10000
-traeti^T
1. Atropia (Atropina seu Atropium). —The most improved processes f° 1 'a'>®this vegetable alkali are those of Mein (Pharm. Central-Blatt fur 1833. »• g g|3)-Thomson, Org. Chem. p. 274), and Richter (Pharm. Central-Blatt fur 183 ’flu’By the first, 12 oz. of belladonna root yielded not quite 12 grains of pure atr0 P''] u b]evegetable alkali crystallizes in transparent silky prisms. It is odourless, sa ^alcohol, ether, and very slightly so in water. The solution is hitter, restore® ^.gllo'*'colour of reddened litmus paper, is precipitated white by infusion of nutgal ^ tl' aby chloride of platinum, and yellow by chloride of gold : the precipitate caus ^ erte Ulatter assumes a crystalline appearance. At a temperature above 212“ F. it 1S c a ;r,into vapour, which is deposited like a coat of varnish. Heated in the op .jts-readily becomes empyreumatic. It dissolves in acids, with which it unites to 0 Q^itrm'The hydrochlorate and sulphate are crystallizable (Geiger and Hesse, Pharm■ ,- n g toBlatt fur 1835, S. 81). Two analyses of it have been made by Liebig: acco ^ trl) pi athe latest, its composition is C 34 H 23 N O 6 ; hence its atomic weight is 289 {Ibid-) ^ e ye,is a powerful poison. An imponderable quantity is sufficient, when applied t jjj a tat‘ l,l fto cause dilatation of the pupil. Given to dogs and cats it caused vomiting, fl sS o>of the pupil, and stupor. A tenth of a grain caused, in the human subject, o 'ppup' ’the mouth, constriction of the throat, difficulty of swallowing, stupor, dilatation
and headache {Ibid, fur 1833, S. 775). 0 f
2. Pseudotoxin. —A substance obtained by Brandes from the watery extract . a ii<*donna. It is brownish-yellow, soluble in water, insoluble in absolute j°f r0 m * tsin ether, is coloured green by the salts of iron, and is totally precipitated 000 ’waterv solution by the salts of lead and by tincture of galls (Gmelin, Hondo-
ii. 1032). _
3. Belladonnin. —Under this name Luebekind {Pharm.. Centr.-Blatt fur 1° Jt
has described a volatile vegetable alkali, which, he says, is distinct from strop 1 ' v’drogfcrystallizable, and has an ammoniacal odour. It consists of Carbon 28 5, - yy'ate r '
22'4, Nitrogen 32' 1, Oxygen 17'0. The crystals contain three equivalents o
Two grains caused extreme heat in the throat and constriction of the larynx. ^ Js
4. Atropic acid. —This name has been given by Richter {Pharm. Centr-' py it s1837, S. 614) to a volatile, crystallizable acid, distinguished from benzoic aC
not precipitating the salts of iron. ^
Physiological Effects, {a.) On vegetables. — An aqueous. soM*,^.extract of belladonna is poisonous to plants (Marcet, Ann. Chvni-