ACONITE 213 



with acetone, alcohol and chloroform. In addition, the drug con- 

 tains a small amount of an alkaloid, canadine (tetrahydro-berber- 

 ine), and considerable starch. Calcium oxalate is wanting. 



From the point of view of the study of crystals obtained by 

 microsublimation, Hydrastis is one of the most interesting. It is 

 possible to obtain appreciable quantities of a crystalline sublimate 

 by heating from 0.010 to 0.050 gm. of powdered Hydrastis to a 

 temperature of 80 to 95 C. Furthermore there are certain con- 

 firmatory tests that may be directly applied to the microcrystals, 

 using special reagents, so that in some respects Hydrastis becomes 

 one of the most fascinating drugs for this kind of study. These 

 crystal sublimates are illustrated in Kraemer's Applied and Eco- 

 nomic Botany, pp. 174 and 175. In this work is also shown a photo- 

 micrograph of crystals of hydrastine obtained from alcoholic solu- 

 tions (Fig. 423, p. 770). 



Elsa Schmidt gives a method for separation of hydrastine and 

 berberine on a large scale. (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1919, 91, p. 270). 



Allied Plants. The alkaloid berberine, or a principle closely 

 resembling it, is found in the following plants of the Ranunculaceae: 

 False rhubarb (Thalictrum flavum) of Europe; and the following 

 plants growing in the United States: Gold-thread (Coptis trifolia), 

 yellow root (Xanthorrhiza apiifolia), and marsh marigold (Caltha 

 palustris). A principle resembling berberine is found -in the follow- 

 ing plants belonging to the Rutaceae: Several species of Zieria 

 found in Southern Australia and Tasmania, and Toddalia aculeata 

 found in the mountains of eastern Africa, tropical Asia and the 

 Philippine Islands. (See also Berberis.) 



AcoNiTUM.-Aconite. The tuberous root of Aconitum Na- 

 pellus (Fam. Ranunculaceae), a perennial herb growing in the 

 mountainous districts of Europe, Asia and western North America. 

 It is also cultivated in temperate regions. The commercial supplies 

 are obtained from England and Germany, and in England the root 

 is collected in autumn from cultivated plants after the overground 

 parts have died down, whereas in Germany the roots are collected 

 from wild plants during the flowering period, this being done to dis- 

 tinguish the particular species yielding the drug. The root should 

 be carefully dried. 



Description. More or less conical or fusiform, 4 t'o 10 cm. in 

 length, 5 to 20 in diameter; externally, dark brown, smooth or some- 

 what wrinkled, the upper portion with a bud, remains of bud-scales 

 or stem-scars, with numerous root-scars or short roots; fracture 

 horny, somewhat mealy; internally, bark light or dark brown, 1 



