9-2 
History and Habitat.—Hydrastis is indigenous to Canada and the United 
States, east of the Mississippi, and but quite rare east of the Alleghany Mountains; 
in the southeastern portion of the country it grows only upon the mountains. It 
seeks the rich soil of shady woods, and moist places at the edge of wooded lands, 
flowering from April to May, and fruiting in July. The American aborigines 
valued the root highly as a tonic, stomachic, and application to sore eyes and 
general ulcerations, as well as a yellow dye for their clothing and implements 
of warfare. 
The officinal preparations in the U.S. Ph. are: Extractum Hydrastis Fluidum, 
and 7inctura Hydrastis. The Eclectic: Decoctum Hydrastis, Extractum Hydras- 
tis Hydro-alcoholicum, Tinctura Hydrastis Composita, Lotio Hydrastis Comfosita, 
Linctura Hydrastis and Vinum Hydrastis Compositum. 
PARTS USED AND PREPARATION.—The fresh root, gathered as the plant 
is budding to blossom, or in the fall, is chopped and pounded to a pulp and 
weighed. ‘Then two parts by weight of alcohol are taken, the pulp thoroughly 
mixed with one-sixth part of it, and the rest of the alcohol added. After stirring 
the whole well, it is poured into a well-stoppered bottle, and allowed to remain 
eight days in a dark, cool place. The tincture is then poured off, strained and 
filtered, and presents the following physical properties: a reddish-orange color, by 
transmitted light, staining everything with which it comes in contact, a deep yellow 
color ; a persistent bitter, then burning taste; no distinguishing odor, and a slightly 
acid reaction. 
Berberinum.—The pure alkaloid Berberina, one part to ten, or ninety-nine 
sugar of milk, and triturated. 
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS.—Berberina (v7de Berberis, 15). Dr. Mahla of 
Chicago proved this alkaloid identical with that obtained from Berberis (Am. Jour. 
Phar., Vol. xxxv., p. 433). 
Hydrastia, C,,H,, NO,, an alkaloid discovered by A.B. Durand (Am. Jour. 
Phar., Vol. xxiii, p. 13), has been referred to by many writers upon Phyto-chem- 
istry, as pure-white crystals, but J. U. Lloyd (Am. Jour, Phar., Vol. li., p. 16) 
determines that it cannot be extracted pure, but is always so intimately associated 
with a yellow substance that when viewed in quantity it shows easily the impurity. 
He decides that this yellowishness is not due to berberina. The crystals when 
viewed separately are in the form of brilliant, yellowish-white, glossy, quadran- 
gular prisms, becoming opaque when dry. Hydrastia fuses at 13 5° (275° F.), and 
decomposes at higher temperatures; it is slightly soluble in cold alcohol, readily in 
hot, from which it is deposited on cooling in the crystalline form above described ; ae 
the taste is not bitter, but somewhat nauseous and acrid, 
Xanthopuccina, a third alkaloid, was determined by Herm. Lerchen (Am. 
Jour. Phar., Vol. 1, p. 470) in the menstruum, after the extraction of berberina 
and hydrastia; a yellow color is the only property given. oo 
Hydrastis contains, beside the above-mentioned bodies, a green fixed oil of a 
disagreeable odor and taste; a little volatile oil, to which the odor of the root is — 
