47°  Hydrastis  Canadensis.  { Am \£"^8arm- 
HYDRASTIS  CANADENSIS. 
By  Hermann  Lerchen,  Ph.G. 
Abstract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
A  cold  infusion  of  the  rhizome  of  hydrastis  was  found  to  contain 
albumen,  sugar,  extractive  matter  and  an  acid  which  produced  a  dingy- 
greenish  precipitate  with  ferric  chloride,  but  no  precipitate  was  obtained 
with  gelatin  or  sulphate  of  quinia,  which  seems  to  prove  the  absence 
of  tannin.  Boiling  ether  extracted  from  the  powdered  rhizome  a  fatty 
resinous  mass,  which  was  slightly  colored,  insoluble  in  water  and  nearly 
tasteless.  Alcohol  dissolved,  besides  the  alkaloids,  a  brown  resin  of  a 
soap  like  and  bitter  taste,  leaving  an  acrid  impression.  On  distilling 
the  rhizome  with  water,  the  distillate  contained  a  minute  quantity  of 
volatile  oil,  having  the  heavy  odor  of  the  infusion  ;  the  decoction  left  in 
the  still  gave,  with  iodine,  abundant  evidence  of  the  presence  of  starch. 
On  incinerating  the  powder,  ten  per  cent,  of  ash  was  obtained,  con- 
taining silica  and  carbonates,  sulphates  and  chlorides,  the  bases  being 
potassium,  sodium,  magnesium,  calcium  and  iron. 
The  alkaloids  were  prepared  from  the  cold  watery  infusion  of 
hydrastis.  On  acidulating  it  strongly  with  hydrochloric  acid,  a  vellow 
precipitate  of  hydrochlorate  of  berberina  was  deposited,  which  crystal- 
lized from  alcohol  in  bright-yellow  needles,  insoluble  in  ether  and 
chloroform,  but  soluble  in  water  and  alcohol.  Strong  sulphuric  acid 
dissolves  them  with  an  olive-green  color.  Nitric  acid  changes  the 
color  to  deep  red,  and  ammonia  to  yellowish-brown.  On  adding  to 
the  solution  in  hot  alcohol  a  dilute  solution  of  iodine  in  potassium 
iodide,  avoiding  an  excess  of  iodine,  green  spangles  are  produced 
(Perrins'  test).  This  iodo  muriate  of  berberina  is  sparingly  soluble  in 
cold  water,  but  soluble  in  hot  water  and  hot  alcohol. 
The  mother  liquor  from  the  first  berberina  precipitate  was  treated  as 
recommended  by  J.  C.  Burt  ("Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1875,  p.  481); 
ammonia  was  added  to  it,  with  the  precaution  of  keeping  the  liquid  of 
a  neutral  reaction,  and  a  yellow  precipitate  obtained  which  was  crystal- 
lized from  alcohol  and  then  treated  with  dilute  muriatic  acid.  Hydro- 
chlorate  of  berberina  was  left  behind,  and  the  liquid  now  yielded  a 
white  precipitate  of  hydrastia  with  ammonia,  which  was  left  from  the 
alcoholic  solution  in  colorless  rhombohedral  crystals.  These  are  insol- 
uble in  cold  water,  slightly  soluble  in  cold  alcohol  and  ether,  soluble  in 
