On Berberine. 
329 
from the brown and unctuous mass surrounding them, by ex- 
pression in a fine linen cloth and washing with cold water. 
There are crystals of impure berberine. This substance be- 
ing but slightly soluble in water and alcohol when cold, and on 
the contrary very soluble in these fluids with the aid of heat, 
renders it easy to purify them. For this purpose the impure 
crystals are to be dissolved in boiling water, which as it cools 
permits the berberine to precipitate in a crystalline form, 
whilst the extractive remains in solution. If this precipitate 
be treated a couple of times with boiling alcohol and the hot 
solution be filtered, the berberine will be obtained in pure 
state, and needs only to be washed with cold alcohol and dried 
by a gentle heat. 
By this process MM. Buchner obtained gi. gi. of berbe- 
rine from 4^ pounds of the bark of the fresh root. — Thence 
1.3 of berberine corresponds to 100 parts of the bark. 
Physical and Chemical Properties of Berberine. — In its 
pure state, it is a very light powder, composed of acicular 
crystals of a bright yellow colour. It has a highly bitter taste 
which is very permanent ; it is inodorous. It has no action 
on turmeric, but changes litmus to a green colour. 
It is very slightly soluble in cold water, but its colour is so 
intense that a very minute portion is sufficient to give a de- 
cided yellow tint to this fluid. The colour of a diluted solution 
is clear yellow, of a concentrated solution, brownish yellow. 
Five hundred parts of cold water dissolve only one of berbe- 
rine at 55° F. It is also but little soluble in cold alcohol, 250 
parts of this taking up but one of berberine. It however, dis- 
solves in almost all proportions in boiling alcohol or water, 
but the greatest part precipitates on the cooling of these men- 
strua. It is but slightly soluble in the fat oils, in those of tur- 
pentine or lavender ; insoluble in either, carburet of sulphur 
and petroleum. Alkalies change its colour to a brown ; acids 
and other bodies having a great affinity for water, precipitate 
it from its aqueous solution. Concentrated sulphuric acid 
changes it into ulmine, and concentrated nitric acid into oxalic 
acid ; most of the metallic salts precipitate it of different 
Vol. I.— No. 4. 42 
