Dr. F. Mahla on Berberin in Hydrastis Canadensis. 45 
Polysulphid of ammonium, when mixed with a hot solution 
of this so-called hydrastin produces immediately a red brown 
precipitate. 
Sulphate of copper is precipitated with a yellowish green; 
nitrate of silver, chlorid of zinc, corrosive sublimate, chlorate 
of potassa, and chlorid of platinum with a yellow color. A solu- 
tion of bichromate of potassa when mixed with a solution of this 
body throws down an orange-yellow, cyanid of a 90508 an 
ochre-yellow and ferrocyanid of potassium a greenish-yellow pre- 
Cipitate. 
When moderately heated it exhibits a deeper yellow tint; the 
original bright yellow color is, however, restored on cooling; if 
eated to a higher temperature it melts like a resin and leaves 
finally a light coaly residue. 
All these reactions coincide so completely with the reactions of 
muriate of Berberin, that I should not have hesitated a moment 
on this evidence alone to declare its identity with that alkaloid. 
cent of nitrogen. Muriate of berberin dried at 100° C. requires 
3°57 per cent. 
2. The combustion for the determination of carbon and hy- 
drogen was made with bichromate of | 
0'440 substance dried at 100° C. yielded :— 
Carbonic acid = 10450 which corresponds to carbon == 64-77 per ct. 
Water = 02085 “6 “ hydrogen = 5138 per ct. 
Muriate of berberin dried at 100° C. requires in 100 parts 
a carbon and 4-841 h n. siaai saath 
“. +e quantity of chlorine was found by precipitating th 
boiling aclation oF the substance with nitrate of silver. This 
mixture was filtered, when still quite hot, and washed on the 
filter with boiling water. 
Pigg smaterial also in this instance was dried at a temperature 
of 100°C, , : 
0°497 substance yielded 0°1725 chlorid of silver; this corres- 
Ponds to 8579 per cent of chlorine. ; 
uriate of Berberin requires 9°03 per cent chlorine, 
Berberin has been discovered thus far in different species of 
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