A  do.  Jour.  Pharm.\ 
Aug.,  1893.  J 
Hydrastis  Canadensis. 
373 
North  America,  a  practical  manufacturing  yield  of  i-8  per  cent, 
mono-sulphate  of  berberine,  equivalent  to  1-39  per  cent,  berberine 
alkaloid,  and  hydrastine  crystals  from  0-25  to  1  per  cent.  A  yield 
of  3  to  3-5  berberine  muriate  can  be  readily  obtained  on  a  practical 
scale,  also  a  much  larger  amount  of  hydrastine,  having  obtained  3-6 
grams  of  beautiful  white  crystals  from  200  grams  of  drug  or  i-8  per 
cent. 
FLUID  EXTRACT  GOLDEN  SEAL  U.  S.  P.  AND  WITHOUT  ALCOHOL. 
Assay. — 10  cc.  of  either  preparation  is  placed  in  a  100  cc.  gradu- 
ated flask,  about  75  cc.  of  alcohol  is  added  and  the  mixture  digested 
on  a  water-bath  for  20  or  30  minutes.  After  cooling,  sufficient 
alcohol  is  added  to  dilute  to  100  cc.  This  alcoholic  solution  is  then 
treated  the  same  as  the  tincture  obtained  in  the  assay  of  the  drug. 
Examination  of  Fluid  Extract  Golden  Sfal,  U.  S.  P. 
Number. 
Per  cent.  berb. 
calcu.  from  dried 
(1050  C.)  berb. 
muriate. 
Hydrastine  by 
weight. 
Hydrastine  by 
titration  with 
N-iooH2S04. 
2-13 
2-2 
1-96 
2,  
27 
2 '5 
i-88 
1-36 
122 
2-52 
1-98 
1-87 
2-52 
2 '45 
6,  
173 
1  "3 
ri6 
7,  
1-89 
174 
1-62 
Average,  .... 
2"20 
171 
1-82 
The  above  fluids  represent  the  leading  manufactures.  Van  Led- 
den  Hulsebosch,  Amsterdam  (Pharm.  Weekblad,  Mar.  21,  1891), 
reports  a  yield  of  3  43,  2-34  and  3-63  of  berberine  and  214  and 
1-71  percent,  hydrastine  (by  weight)  in  three  different  lots  of  fluid 
extract  of  his  own  make,  and  1-86  and  2-71  per  cent,  berberine  and 
1-46  and  174  per  cent,  hydrastine,  in  two  samples  made  by  other 
pharmacists.  L.  van  Itallie,  Amsterdam  {Pharm.  Weekblad,  Apr.  4, 
1 891 ),  found  in  various  fluid  extracts  of  hydrastis,  2-21,  2-52,  1-42 
and  179  per  cent,  hydrastine,  by  weight.  The  above  results  on 
hydrastine  by  weight  would    necessarily  be    higher  than  those 
