The chemical investigation of some poisonous plants in the n.o. solanaceæ / by James M. Petrie.

  • Petrie, James M.
Date:
1917
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The chemical investigation of some poisonous plants in the n.o. solanaceæ / by James M. Petrie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/58 page 124
    plant. He found, by Gerrard’s colour-test with mercuric chloride solution, that hyoscyamine alone was present in old leaves and twigs, but that the fresh young leaves contained mostly scopolamine. From this period, the chemistry of Duboisia was neglected for seventeen years, till, in 1912, the Wellcome Research laborato- ries received a large supply of the plant from the Philippine Islands. Carr and Reynolds (50) obtained from this material 1:1% of hyoscyamine and 0:15% of pseudo-hyoscyamine. The latter alkaloid was found by them to possess the constitution of nor-hyoscyamine, but they detected no scopolamine in this material, DusBorsta Horpwoopii F.v.M. xii. The poisonous principle of the ‘‘ pituri” plant was studied by medical specialists in Great Britain in 1878, and the chemist Gerrard(7) found an alkaloid present which he named ‘‘piturine.” In 1879, Petit, of Paris (11), showed that the alkaloid was nicotine. In 1880, Professor Liversidge revised the analytical work, and obtained a formula for the alkaloid, of lower molecular weight than nicotine: the difference lay in the determination of the nitrogen. It stood thus doubtfully as a new alkaloid under the name of ‘piturine” for thirty years. * Petit’s results were recently confirmed by the late Dr. Rothera, of Melbourne (15), and the base has been shown to be identical with nicotine in its chemical, physical, and pharmacological properties. Hartwich(14) in 1910, and Senft (46) in 1911, wrote good descriptive accounts of the plant, including the histology of the leaves and stems, and showing a number of sections. Hartwich compares the histology of the two species. In both accounts, the chemical data show all the positive reactions of nicotine, although the alkaloid is referred to as ‘‘piturin.” Senft obtained his pituri and in- formation from two Austrian scientists, Domin and Danes, who visited Australia in 1910. All these were unacquainted with Rothera’s results. This plant is a shrub or small] tree growing to an average height of about eight feet. It is found only in the interior of the continent; it crosses the border on the east
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3