trimethyl-hydrethylene-ammonium.]

The fusing point of atropine is not 194 deg. F., as stated by Planta, but
237 deg. F. Crystallized from not too dilute alcohol it forms crystals
which are aggregations of prisms. Toluene, alcohol, and chloroform all
dissolve atropine readily. Its double gold salt is very characteristic.
It is generally precipitated in the form of an oil which solidifies
rapidly and may be crystallized from hot water after the addition of a
little hydrochloric acid. This clouds in cooling, and after a certain
time it separates in small crystals of indeterminate form which unite in
warty concretions. After drying the salt forms a dull powder, melting
between 275 deg. F. and 280 deg. F. It also melts in boiling water, and its
aqueous solution exposed to the light is partially reduced, 100 grammes
of water acidulated with 10 cubic centimeters of 1.190 deg. solution of
hydrochloric acid dissolves 0.137 gramme of the gold salt at 136 deg. F. to
140 deg. F.

I should fancy that the above particulars are sufficent to completely
differentiate atropine from all the other mydriatic alkaloids.


II.--THE ATROPINE OF DATURA STRAMONIUM.

Planta has already tried to show that atropine is identical with the
daturine obtained by Geiger and Hesse, founding his opinion on facts
which we nowadays look upon as doubtful. This identity was generally
admitted by all chemists. The pharmacologists, headed by Soubeiran,
Erhardt, Schroff, and Poehl, were much more reserved in their judgment.
I thought it as well, therefore, to recommence the study of daturine,
the more so as I had already determined the incorrectness of the