402 
Men  ispermu  m  Canadense. 
('Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1     August,  1884. 
was  also  found  in  this,  giving,  with  test  solution  of  ferric  chloride,  a 
dark  green  color. 
The  ground  rhizome  was  next  heated  to  about  40°C.  to  expel  the 
ether,  and  was  then  percolated  with  94  per  cent,  alcohol.  This  on 
evaporation  also  gave  a  resinous  residue,  yellowish  brown  in  color, 
slightly  soluble  in  ether  and  partially  so  in  water,  a  brown  resin 
remaining.  Hydrochloric  acid  was  added  to  this  aqueous  solution,  a 
yellowish  precipitate  being  thrown  down,  which  was  soluble  in  hot 
alcohol,  and  answered  all  the  tests  for  hydrochlorate  of  berberine. 
On  the  addition  of  carbonate  of  sodium  to  the  mother  liquor  from 
the  berberine  precipitate,  a  grayish  white  powder  was  thrown  down, 
wrhich  reacted  with  various  group  tests  for  alkaloids  (see  "Amer.  Jour. 
Phar.,"  1863,  p.  302).  The  precipitate  was  dissolved  in  hydrochloric 
acid,  and  filtered  through  animal  charcoal.  Ammonia  was  added  to  the 
solution,  producing  a  precipitate  which  on  being  shaken  thoroughly 
with  ether  dissolved.  This  etherial  solution  was  evaporated,  the  resi- 
due beiug  dissolved  in  water  acidulated  with  HC1.,  this  solution  again 
being  precipitated.  The  above  process  was  repeated  several  times,  in 
order  to  attain  the  highest  degree  of  purity.  The  alkaloid  was  at  length 
procured  in  the  form  of  a  whitish,  amorphous  powder. 
The  aqueous  percolate  of  the  rhizome  gave  alkaloidal  precipitates, 
and  green  ones  with  ferric  chloride,  showing  presence  of  the  tannin 
before  mentioned. 
The  percolate  with  diluted  hydrochloric  acid  gave,  with  ammonia 
and  general  group  reagents,  alkaloidal  reactions  corresponding  to  the 
previous  tests,  some  coloring  matter,  and  a  small  quantity  of  pectin. 
The  ammoniacal  percolate  gave  no  evidence  of  alkaloidal  presence, 
but  a  large  amount  of  coloring  matter  was  extracted,  the  color  of  this 
percolate  being  much  darker  than  any  of  the  preceding  ones.  Nothing 
important  was  found  in  this  operation. 
The  decoction  was  concentrated.  This  gave  on  addition  of  absolute 
alcohol,  a  flocculent  precipitate  of  gummy  matter.  Test  solution  of  iodine 
yielded  a  bluish  coloration  indicating  starch.  Test  solution  of  iodo- 
hydrargyrate  of  potassium  gave  here  slight  evidences  of  alkaloidal 
reaction. 
On  distilling  the  rhizome  with  water,  a  milky-white  liquid  resulted, 
separating  after  long  standing,  a  very  minute  portion  of  volatile  oil 
which  was  colorless,  and  aromatic,  the  odor  resembling  that  of  oil  of 
erigeron. 
