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Re: atropine



>has prescribed doxycycline; which is supposedly atropine without the side effects of 
>pupil dialation... it doesn't work.   I was wondering if there was a way to get 
>atropine without the scopolamine.

   Doxycycline is an antibiotic of the tetracycline group.  It is no 
relation to atropine.

    The only pharmacological difference between atropine and scopolamine 
is that scopolamine has a duration of effect of 6-12 hours and atropine 
has a duration of 16-38 hours.  Datura is a reasonably good source of 
scopolomine; Atropa belladonna is a reasonably good source of atropine.  
most other botanical sources of anti-cholenic tropanes contain more mixed 
alkaliods.  Unless you need tropanol for chemical synthetic work, I would 
*NOT* advise attempting to isolate pure alkaliods of this type, as they 
are far to potent and toxic to be safely handled without extreme caution. 
 They can be absorbed through the skin.  The botanical materials are much 
safer to handle than the purified alkaloids, as an amount of the alkaloid 
you can barely see can kill you. 




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