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Selected Articles. 
colours. It is readily decomposed by heat. At a temperature 
a little more elevated than that of boiling water, it becomes 
reddish, but regains its original colour on cooling. Heated in 
a retort over an oil bath, it gives out water at 212 F., becomes 
brown at 266°, melts at 320° to 340° ; a yellowish fluid pass- 
ing over ; finally at 425°, it swells and leaves as residue, a 
voluminous charcoal of a metallic brilliancy. 
Composition. — Berberine subjected to combustion with ox- 
ide of copper in the apparatus of Liebig, to determine the pro- 
portions of carbon and hydrogen; and then in an apparatus 
filled with carbonic acid to ascertain the quantity of nitrogen, 
gave the following mean of several experiments : 
Carbon 61.23 
Hydrogen 5.49 
Nitrogen 4.03 
Oxygen 29.25 
Its formula is therefore 33 C + 36 H + 2 Az + 12 O, and 
its atomic number 4124. 
Medical Properties. — Berbery root has been much employed 
in different cachexias, and especially in jaundice and other 
hepatic affections ; in large doses acting as a purgative. The 
authors of the present memoir have found that berberine in 
doses of 1 to 10 grains is an efficacious tonic or purgative, 
and may be successfully employed in all cases in which the 
root is indicated. 
Jour, de Phar. 
