BERBERIS 



235 



fine particles exhibiting a Brownian movement and verjT short frag- 

 ments of the several tissues. 



Constituents. Four alkaloids, namely, berberine; oxyacanthine, 

 which acquires a yellow color in sunlight; berbamine, which is dis- 

 tinguished from the above-mentioned alkaloids by being soluble 

 in water; and another alkaloid whose properties have not been 

 investigated. The drug also contains resin and considerable starch. 



Allied Plants. Berberis vulgaris (European barberiy), natural- 

 ized in the United States, furnishes a drug which has similar prop- 

 erties. Not only the rhizomes and roots, but also the stem and root 



FIG. 105. Powder of Berberis. Tr, reticulate tracheae; Tb, tracheae with bor- 

 dered pores; P, fragments of parenchyma cells; S, starch grains; Sc, scler- 

 enchymatous fibers; C, fragments of cortical parenchyma with a yellowish 

 amorphous content; M, starch-bearing medullary ray cells having yellowish 

 walls. Drawing by Haase. 



barks are employed, the root bark containing a *arger amount of 

 alkaloids than that of the stem. 



The bark and root of Berberis asiatica of the Himalaya region and 

 B. aristata of India are similarly employed, the latter containing 

 about 2 per cent of berberine. 



The flowers of berries and Berberis Aquifolium and B. vulgaris 

 contain berberine, oxyacanthine, volatile oil, about 6 per cent of 

 malic acid and 3.5 to 4.7 per cent of sugar. 



