452  Berherine,  Hydrastine,  Oxyacanthine.        { se?ri?85^™* 
DETECTION  OF  BERBERINE,  HYDRASTINE  AND 
OXYACANTHINE. 
By  L.  v.  Hirschhausen. 
Berberine  gives  with  phosphomolybdic  or  phosphotungstic  acid  a 
yellow  amorphous  precipitate,  with  potassio-mercuric  iodide  the  pre- 
cipitate is  greenish-yellow,  with  potassio-bismuthic  iodide  orange-red, 
with  potassio-cadmium  iodide  bright  yellow.  The  precipitates  formed 
with  platinic  chloride,  auric  chloride,  mercuric  chloride,  picric  acid, 
and  potassic  bromide  are  all  of  a  yellow  color,  and  are  easily  obtained 
with  O'Ol  mgrm.  of  the  alkaloid.  Potassium  dichromate  gives  a  yellow 
amorphous  flocculent  precipitate  with  0'02  mgrm.  An  alcoholic  solu- 
tion containing  0*01  mgrm.  berberine  sulphate,  gives  with  a  solution 
of  iodine  in  potassium  iodide  an  immediate  crystalline  precipitate  of  a 
green  color  if  the  reagent  is  added  gradually.  Potassium  ferrocyanide 
precipitates  a  salt  of  the  alkaloid  in  yellow  needles.  Concentrated 
pure  sulphuric  acid,  when  added  to  a  small  quantity  of  the  dry  salt, 
gives  a  yellow  coloration  darkening  to  olive-green  and  finally  disappear- 
ing. Molybdic  and  sulphuric  acids  give  an  immediate  yellow  color, 
changing  through  dark-brown  to  violet-brown.  Vanadic  and  sulphuric 
acids  give  a  fine  violet,  and  selenic  and  sulphuric  acids  a  bright  yellow 
color  with  O'Ol  mgrm.  of  the  salt.  Chlorine  water  gives  a  blood-red 
coloration  with  1  mgrm.  of  berberine  sulphate,  but  if  the  salt  be  first 
dissolved  in  a  few  drops  of  a  33  per  cent,  solution  of  hydrochloric 
acid,  the  color  is  produced  with  0*01  mgrm.  of  the  salt.  A  crystal  of 
potassic  nitrate  and  the  dry  salt  when  moistened  with  concentrated 
sulphuric  acid,  give  a  brown-red  passing  to  a  fine  orange-yellow.  If 
potassium  dichromate  be  substituted  for  the  nitrate,  the  color  is  more 
of  a  violet  tint  at  first,  and  finally  assumes  a  broAvnish-yellow  hue. 
Phosphoric  acid  gives  a  yellow  color.  With  sugar  and  sulphuric  acid, 
a  yellow  coloration,  changing  through  green  to  black  is  produced. 
Bromine-water  precipitates  an  orange-yellow  bromide  which  rapidly 
loses  its  color.  Berberine  is  only  sparingly  soluble  in  chloroform,  and 
not  at  all  in  petroleum,  ether,  or  benzene. 
Hydrastine  gives  with  phosphomolybdic  acid  a  bright  lemon-yellow 
precipitate;  with  phosphotungstic  acid,  potassio-cadmium  iodide,  or 
potassio-mercuric  iodide,  white  precipitates ;  and  with  potassio-bismuthic 
iodide  and  potassium  dichromate,  orange  precipitates.  With  O'l  mgrm. 
