262 
Alkaloids  of  Coptis  Trifolia. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1884. 
lighter  colored  resin  began  to  separate  as  the  alcohol  evaporated,  and 
these  were  completely  precipitated  by  allowing  the  liquid  to  stand  in 
a  cool  place  for  twenty-four  hours.  The  contents  of  the  dish  were 
then  thoroughly  agitated  with  water  and  filtered.  The  filtrate  was 
now  evaporated  to  a  syrupy  consistence  and  eight  ounces  of  alcohol 
added.  This  was  divided  into  two  equal  portions,  and  one  was  strongly 
acidulated  with  sulphuric,  the  other  with  hydrochloric  acid,  and  both 
set  aside  in  a  cool  place. 
After  standing  twenty-four  hours,  the  portion  acidulated  with  sul- 
phuric acid  had  formed  a  considerable  amount  of  a  brownish  yellow 
precipitate,  but  the  supernatant  liquid  was  still  bitter  and  retained  its 
yellow  color.  The  portion  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid  showed 
only  a  slight  cloudiness,  and  did  not  precipitate  even  after  standing 
for  two  weeks. 
The  foregoing  processes  are  the  ones  usually  employed  for  the  sepa- 
ration of  berberine,  and  neither,  in  these  instances,  gave  a  satisfactory 
result. 
Through  the  courtesy  of  Professor  J.  U.  Lloyd,  we  were  enabled 
next  to  employ  his  scheme  for  the  determination  of  berberine,  as  stated 
in  the  manuscript  of  his  work  upon  u  Drugs  and  Medicines  of  North 
America,"  and  which  is  based  upon  the  insolubility  of  picrate  of  ber- 
berine in  most  menstruums. 
The  first  step  was  to  separate  the  second  alkaloid,  discovered  by  Mr. 
E.  Z.  Gross,  as  follows :  Of  the  remainder  of  the  percolate,  four  gal- 
lons and  one  pint,  representing  four  pounds  of  drug,  were  subjected  to 
distillation,  and  the  oil  and  resin  separated  in  the  manner  heretofore 
described.  To  the  resulting  filtrate,  officinal  water  of  ammonia  was 
added  until  slightly  in  excess.  This  produced  a  dark  brown  flocculent 
precipitate,  which  was  collected  on  a  filter  and  thoroughly  washed  with 
water.  The  filtrate,  after  having  been  slightly  acidulated  with  sulphuric 
acid,  and  allowed  to  stand  for  several  hours,  was  brought  to  an  alka- 
line reaction  by  the  addition  of  water  of  ammonia,  when  a  second  pre- 
cipitation took  place  similar  in  appearance  to  the  first.  This  and  the 
foregoing  precipitate  after  having  been  mixed  and  dried  spontaneously, 
was  treated  with  successive  portions  of  chloroform.  The  chloroform 
was  then  distilled,  and  the  residue  exhausted  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid. 
The  resulting  solution  when  filtered  and  made  alkaline  by  addition 
of  ammonia  water,  gave  a  precipitate  which  when  dried  spontaneously, 
weighed  3'42  grains. 
