CRUDE DRUGS. 483 



wood lemon-yellow, distinctly radiate, with narrow medullary 

 rays; pith bright yellow, 2 or 3 mm. in diameter. Slightly 

 odorous. Taste bitter. 



Constituents. — Four alkaloids, namely, berberine; oxyacan- 

 thine, which acquires a yellow color in sunlight ; berbamine, which 

 is distinguished 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 barberry), 

 naturalized in the United States, furnishes a drug which has sim- 

 ilar properties. Not only the rhizomes and roots but also the 

 stem and root barks are employed, the root bark containing a 

 larger 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 con- 

 taining about 2 per cent, of berberine. 



The flowers . and berries of 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. 



The alkaloid berberine is also found in Argemone me.vicana 

 (Fam. Papaveraceas) and in the following members of the Ranun- 

 culacese: Hydrastis canadensis, Coptis trifolia and Xamthorrhisa 

 apiifolia. 



GENTIANA.— GENTIAN.— The rhizome and roots of Gen- 

 tiana lutea (Fam. Gentianacese), a perennial herb (Fig. 209) in- 

 digenous to Central and Southern Europe and Asia Minor, (p. ) . 

 The fleshy rhizomes and roots are collected in autumn and fre- 

 quently cut into longitudinal pieces and slowly dried, during 

 which latter process they develop a distinctive color and odor. 

 The commercial supplies are obtained from France, Germany, 

 Spain and Switzerland. 



Description. — Nearly cylindrical and sometimes branched, 

 split longitudinally or broken into irregular pieces, 3 to 15 cm. 

 long, 5 to 40 mm. in diameter ; externally light brown, the upper 

 or rhizome portion annulate from scars of bud-scales, longitud- 

 inally wrinkled, and with few buds, stem- and root-scars, roots 

 longitudinally wrinkled ; fracture short when dry, tough and flex- 



