Am.  Join.  Pharm.\ 
October,  1S94.  J 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
50i 
The  results  of  analyses  of  albuminate  of  iron  and  ferratin,  as  made  by  the 
authors,  are  given  below  : 
Ferratin, 
Dark  brown  powder. 
Iron  5  "4  per  cent. 
Insoluble  in  water. 
Soluble  in  dilute  alkalies. 
Soluble  in  dilute  acids. 
Begins  to  blacken  in  20  seconds  with 
Albuminate  of  Iron. 
Pale  red  powder. 
Iron  21  per  cent. 
Insoluble  in  water. 
Soluble  in  dilute  alkalies. 
Soluble  in  dilute  acids. 
With  (NH4),  S  begins  to  blacken  in 
5  seconds. 
Pepsin  and  HC1  convert  43  per  cent, 
of  the  iron  into  ferrous  and  ferric 
chloride  by  one  digestion. 
By  removing  the  peptones,  etc.,  and 
subjecting  to  second  digestion,  42  per 
cent,  more  of  the  iron  is  converted 
into  the  inorganic  form,  or  a  total  of 
S5  per  cent,  of  the  original  iron. 
The  author  claimed  that  Ferratin  possesses  no  great  advantages  over  ordinary 
albuminate  of  iron. 
Queries  14  and  15.  —  The  relation  of  hydra stine  and  berberine  to  one  another, 
and  their  mode  of  combination  in  the  drug.  To  illustrate  the  relation  of  the 
two  alkaloids,  Alfred  R.  L.  Dohme  referred  to  the  following  graphic  formulas 
constructed  by  Freund  : 
(NHJ2  S. 
Pepsin  and  HC1  convert  37  per 
cent,  of  the  iron  into  ferrous  and  fer- 
ric chloride  by  one  digestion. 
By  subjecting  to  same  operation,  43 
per  cent,  more  of  the  iron  is  converted 
into  the  inorganic  form,  or  a  total  of 
So  per  cent,  of  the  original  iron. 
/ 
CH30-C 
\ 
c- 
I 
co^ 
CH3 
I  H 
N  C 
h/ 
— c 
\ 
CH, 
/ 
CH 
CH 
=0  HC 
HC^ 
CH,0-C- 
CH 
CH 
CH,0 
CHa 
HYDRASTINE. 
BERBERINE. 
Being  unable  to  find  an  acid  in  hydrastis,  which  yields  the  alkaloids  as  such 
to  cold  ether  and  benzene,  the  author  concludes  that  these  principles  exist  in 
the  free  state. 
Discussion. — Dr.  Greve  suggested  that  the  white  alkaloid  was  made  known 
first  in  this  country,  and  the  yellow  alkaloid  shortly  afterwards  in  Europe. 
J.  U.  Lloyd  remarked  that  Rafinesque,  in  1828,  called  it  hydrastine  and  sug- 
gested that  there  arose  a  misunderstanding  of  the  word.  The  white  hydrastine 
of  those  days  became  known  later  as  the  yellow  berberina. 
Dr.  Dohme,  in  explanation,  suggested  that  neither  was  pure,  and  that  such 
a  statement  as  one  being  superseded  by  the  other,  referred  only  to  the  name  ; 
