266        Constituents  of  Sages  Catarrh  Remedy.  {A"jZ™*m"m 
acid  and  camphor ;  an  increased  heat  caused  a  portion  of  the  powder 
to  burn ;  the  residue  was  treated  before  the  blow-pipe,  when,  after  the 
carbonaceous  matter  had  been  completely  burned  off,  the  powder 
finally  fused,  thus  showing  that  there  were  present  three  distinct 
classes  of  bodies,  viz.,  1st,  a  volatile  ;  2d,  an  organic ;  and  3d,  an 
inorganic  body,  non  volatile,  but  fusible. 
About  a  drachm  of  the  powder  was  exhausted  with  distilled  water, 
and  the  resulting  filtrate  evaporated  to  one-half;  a  portion  of  the 
liquid  was  tested  for  the  presence  of  an  ammonia  compound,  and 
then  successively  treated  with  hydrochloric  acid,  sulphuretted  hydro- 
gen, ammonia  and  sulphhydrate  of  ammonium,  carbonate  and  phos- 
phate of  ammonium,  all  giving  negative  results. 
The  other  portion  was  then  evaporated  and  ignited,  the  residue 
dissolved  in  distilled  water  and  tested  in  divided  portions  with  per- 
chloride  of  platinum  and  antimoniate  of  sodium,  the  latter  only  giving 
a  white  precipitate,  proving  the  presence  of  sodium. 
Another  portion  was  examined  for  acids,  but  only  one,  hydrochlo- 
ric acid,  was  found. 
The  residue  left  in  the  percolator  was  next  exhausted  with  95  per 
cent,  alcohol,  the  percolate  evaporated  to  a  small  bulk  and  allowed  to 
stand  for  twelve  hours ;  it  was  then  found  to  have  produced  a  large 
number  of  beautiful  needle-shaped  crystals  of  a  yellow  color  and  a 
bitter  taste.  Perrin's  test  gave  the  very  characteristic  and  beautiful 
green  spangles  of  an  iodo-compound  of  berberina. 
This  exhausted  powder  was  carefully  examined  by  the  microscope, 
and  was  found  to  be  partly  of  a  cellular  structure  and  to  contain  starch; 
the  latter  was  subsequently  confirmed  by  the  appropriate  tests.  This 
body  I  do  not  hesitate  to  call  Hydrastis  canadensis. 
About  two  drachms  of  the  catarrh  remedy  were  subjected  to  distil- 
lation, which  yielded  a  distillate  having  a  strong  odor  of  carbolic  acid 
and  camphor  and  separating  gradually  oily-looking  globules,  which 
were  carefully  separated  and  subjected  to  cold,  after  which  they  be- 
came solid  and  crystalline ;  this,  together  with  the  blue  color  pro- 
duced on  the  addition  of  neutral  sesqui-chloride  of  iron  solution,  is 
quite  sufficient  to  distinguish  carbolic  acid  from  the  closely  allied 
creasote. 
To  another  portion  of  the  globules  dissolved  in  water  was  added 
caustic  potassa ;  immediately  a  white  flocculent  precipitate  rose  to  the 
surface  ;  this  was  separated  by  means  of  a  filter  and  washed  with  hot 
