* | - BERBERIDEZ. 67 
~ wood es with very large fenestrated vessels, and ecioaiele 
to each wedge-shaped portion is situated a peculiar band of 
a pale yellow colour, which lies in contact with the stony 
envelope; there is a. small close-grained central column, 
consisting of cells containing starch; all parts of the wood 
are impregnated with yellow colouring matter freely soluble 
in water. 
: Rusot isa dark brown extract of the consistence of opium, 
: haying a bitter and astringent taste, readily soluble in water, 
_ partly so in rectified spirit, forming a rich yellowish brown’ 
F solution, which becomes bright yellow when diluted. It is 
_ preparedin Nipal and the Dhoon. Zirishk is a moist sticky mass 
of small black fruit, rather larger than English Barberries; most 
_ of them are abortive, but a few, contain one or two oblong seeds 
about 3-20ths of an inch in length, with a thin roughish brown ~ 
sta, beneath which is a membranaceous covering ; the peri- | 
rmis yellow, embryo nearly as long as the perisperm, yellow; 
erect 5 cotyledons vblong; i radicle subeylindric, jnferior. ea eaee 
_ The root bark is brittle, externally light brown and sok; 
_ beneath the suberous layer it is of a dark brown, with a - 
_ greenish yellow ee ge, fibrous, and very bitter. 
Chemical Genito he bitter principle of Barberry root 
_ and wood is berberine, which it contains in great abundance. 
The fruit contains tartaric and malic acids. Berberine or — 
berberia was first discovered by Chevallier and Pelletan (1826) 
in the bark of Zanthoxylum clava Herculis, Linn., and named — 
_ zanthoprerit ; its identity with berberine was proved by Perring 
(1862). A. Buchner, who obtained it (1835) crystallized from __ 
barberry root, believed it to posséss acid properties, andnamed 
‘it berberin. “ It had’ been previously separated in an impure 
| condition by Brandes (1825) and by Buchner (1830). G. 
Kemp (1841) noticed that it forms crystallizable compounds 
with various mineral and organic acids, but its alkal 
ure was first proved by Fleitmann (1846). Since 
has been. peered. in bo eee Desle: of 
