August 27,1870.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
161 
GOLD THREAD. 
Coptis tecta, Wall., and Cop>tis trifolia, Salisb. 
BY M. C. COOKE. 
Two species of Coptis are collected and employed 
in Asia and North America respectively, for similar 
purposes and with like results. The Asiatic species 
is the Mishmi Tita of Assam, included as a pri¬ 
mary article in the Pharmacopoeia of India; the 
Coptis teeta of Wallich, a native of the Mishmee 
mountains, east of Assam. The officinal part is 
the dried root imported into Bengal from Assam 
in small rattan baskets, each containing from one 
to two ounces of the drug. This consists of pieces 
of a woody rhizome, of the thickness of a small 
goose-quill, and from one to two inches in length, 
often contracted at one extremity into a short woody 
stem; the surface is usually rough, irregular, more 
or less annulated, and marked with the remains of 
rootlets in the shape of short spiny points. Ex¬ 
ternally it is of a yellowish-brown colour, internally 
much brighter, frequently of a golden-yellow colour, 
exhibiting on fracture a radiated structure. Taste 
persistently bitter, and when chewed tinges the saliva 
yellow. It contains neither tannic nor gallic acid, 
but abounds with a yellow bitter principle, soluble 
in water and alcohol.* 
This drug was first brought into notice by Dr. 
Wallich in 1836,f and was reported upon by Mr. 
Twining. The late Dr. J. E. Stocks, in his collec¬ 
tion of drugs from Scinde, described in the ‘ Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal’ (Yol. XIV. p. 456), sent a root 
called ‘ Malimira,’ and Dr. Pereira published an ela¬ 
borate paper on it, J in which he endeavoured to show 
that tliis was the root termed ‘ Mahmira ’ in the 
writings of Avicenna, Paulus iEgineta, and other old 
authors. Dr. Waring at one time doubted whether 
this might not be more correctly referred to Thalic- 
trum foliolosum, DC., which has also a bitter yellow 
root, but he has since accepted Dr. Pereira’s views. 
According to the same authority, the Coptis root 
has long been known in Europe under other names. 
In Guibourt’s Hist. Nat. des Drogues it occurs under 
the name of ‘ Racine de Chynlen ou de Mangouate.’ 
It is also described by Murray under the name of 
‘ Chynlen ;’ and it is mentioned by Ainslie with the 
name of ‘ Sou-line ’ or ‘ Cliyn-len,’ and he says it is 
a bitter root which is brought from China to India. 
It was used extensively at the Calcutta General 
Hospital by Mr. Twining, who reported that its in¬ 
fluence in restoring appetite and increasing the di¬ 
gestive powers was very remarkable, and that it 
might be said to possess all the properties of our best 
bitter tonics. It did not seem to exercise any febri¬ 
fuge virtue, but, under its influence, several patients, 
recovering from acute diseases, manifestly and very 
rapidly unproved in strength. The dose was five to 
ten grains of the powder, or an ounce of the infusion, 
tin-ice daily. The Bengal Pharmacopoeia contains 
the following formula for the tincture :—Mishmee 
teeta root, powdered, ^hj, proof spirit lb. ij ; dose 5i 
to 5ij- O’Sliaughnessy states that in its chemical 
properties it corresponds exactly with the American 
species. Both contain Berberina. For an account 
of its virtues as a tonic, the following autliori- 
* Pharmacopoeia of India, p. 4. 
t Trans. Med. and Pliys. Soe., Calcutta, vol. viii. p. 85. 
X Pharm. Journ. 1851, Yol. XI. p. 291. 
Third Series, No. 9. 
ties may be consulted:—Wallich and Twining,* * § 
0’Shaughnessy,f Macpherson,t and Captain Low- 
tlier.§ 
The American Gold thread is Coptis trifolia, Salisb. 
It inhabits the northern regions of America and 
Asia, and is found hi Greenland and Iceland. It 
delights in the dark shady swamps and cold morasses 
of northern latitudes and alpine regions, and abounds 
in Canada and the hilly districts of New England. 
All parts of the plant are more or less bitter, but 
this property is most intense in the root, which is 
the officinal part. It is a primary article of the 
United States Pharmacopoeia. 
“Dried Gold thread, as brought into the market, 
is in loosely matted masses, consisting of the long 
thread-like orange-yellow roots, frequently interlaced 
and mingled with the leaves and stems of the plant. 
It is without smell and has a purely bitter taste, 
unattended with aroma or astringency. It imparts 
a bitterness and yellow colour to water and alcohol, 
but most perfectly to the latter, with which it forms 
a bright yellow tincture. The infusion is precipi¬ 
tated by nitrate of silver and acetate of lead. .It 
affords no evidence of containing ether, resin, gum, or 
tannin.” |! 
According to Professor F. F. Mayer, tliis drug 
contains Berberina, as well as Hydrastis canadensis , 
associated with a colourless alkaloid, which is not 
precipitated by muriatic or nitric acid, but the pre¬ 
cise nature of which does not yet appear to have 
been demonstrated. ** 
The properties and uses of this article are thus 
described by Dr. G. B. Wood. Gold thread is a 
simple tonic bitter, bearing a close resemblance to 
Quassia in its mode of action and applicable to all 
cases in which that medicine is prescribed, though, 
from its higher price, not likely to come into general 
use as a substitute. In New England it is employed 
as a local application in aphthous ulcerations of the 
mouth, but it probably has no other virtues in this 
complaint than such as are common to the simple 
bitters. It may be given in substance, infusion or 
tincture. The dose of the powder is from ten to 
tliirty grains; of a tincture made with an ounce of 
the root to a pint of diluted alcohol, one fluid drachm. 
Although differing considerably in external appear¬ 
ance, it will be seen that these two species of Gold 
thread have very much in common; but if the re¬ 
ports are to be fully relied upon, the Asiatic plant, 
Coptis teeta, certainly has the advantage in quality 
and recommendation. Does it not deserve a fair 
trial in tliis country ? 
THE SOURCE OF MUSCULAR POWER. 
BY BARON LIEBIG. 
As the result of general experience, I have for¬ 
merly expressed the opinion that the source of the 
mechanical actions of the animal body must be 
sought in material metamorphosis, and especially in 
the transformation of the nitrogenous constituents 
of muscle. Accordingly, the work done by any two 
* Trans. Med. and Pkys. Soc., Calcutta, vol. viii. pp. 85-94. 
f Bengal Dispens. p. 163. 
j Ind. Ann. of Med. Sci. 1856, vol. iii. p. 397. 
§ Journ. Agri-Hort. Soc. of India, 1858, vol. x. App. p. 6, 
|| ‘ United States Dispensatory,’ 12th ed. p. 326. 
** Amer. Journ. Pharm., March 1863, p. 97. 
