3o8 
Assay  for  Sanguinaria. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1896. 
the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  for  1890.  The  fluid  extract,  when 
assayed  by  the  same  method,  contained  167  per  cent,  alkaloid,  thus 
proving  that  the  process  used  in  making  the  fluid  extract  had 
thoroughly  exhausted  the  drug. 
The  alkaloid  extracted  by  benzin  was  examined  in  comparison 
with  that  subsequently  extracted  by  chloroform  ether,  with  no  defi- 
nite results  regarding  their  distinction. 
Both  melted  at  precisely  1600  C.1  when  obtained  in  scales  from 
the  evaporation  of  an  ethereal  solution.  Both  showed  a  violet 
coloration  with  sulphuric  acid  and  potassium  bichromate,  and 
showed  a  reddish  purple  fluorescence  in  ethereal  solution.  The 
hydrochloric  acid  salt  of  each  was  prepared,  and  was  found  to  be  of 
a  bright  red  color,  but  no  difference  could  be  observed  in  their 
reactions. 
The  process,which  had  thus  far  been  tried  only  upon  the  commercial 
drug,  was  then  applied  to  some  sanguinaria  collected  by  the  author  on 
May  6,  1896,  and  dried  at  6o°  C.  to  expel  moisture,  which  amounted 
to  86- 50  per  cent.  Assayed  by  the  benzin  process,  it  yielded  1-30 
per  cent,  of  alkaloid  ;  this  is  slightly  lower  than  in  any  sample  of 
commercial  drug  examined,  but  may  be  due  to  the  time  of  collec- 
tion, which  should  be  in  autumn,  according  to  the  United  States 
Pharmacopoeia. 
The  same  tests  were  applied  to  the  alkaloids  in  this  case,  with 
similar  results  to  those  obtained  previously. 
A  volumetric  titration  of  the  alkaloids  was  attempted,  but  was 
unsuccessful,  owing  to  the  deep  red  color  of  the  salts  of  the  alka- 
loid, which  interfered  with  the  accuracy  of  the  indicator. 
The  following  conclusions  were  drawn  from  the  application  of 
these  processes  to  the  drug  and  its  preparations,  working  upon  a 
practical  scale  : 
(1)  That  the  benzin  process  gives  uniform  results  with  any  given 
1  The  following  melting  points  have  been  ascribed  to  these  alkaloids  by  well- 
known  authorities : 
Sanguinarine,  2110  C. ;  Chelerythrine,  203°C;  by  G.  Konig,  1891.  Chemische 
Centralhalle. 
Sanguinarine,  1600  C;  Allen,  Com' I  Org.  Anal.,  Vol.  Ill,  part  II. 
Sanguinarine,  1600  C. ;  H  Nasehold  ;  J.  Prakt.  Chem.,  cvi,  385. 
Sanguinarine,  2i3°C;  Ladenburg  Handworterbuch . 
