BERBERIN  IN  HYDRASTIS  CANADENSIS. 
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trogyrate,  and  that  the  coniferous  and  allied  oils  rotate  left- 
handed,  thus  showing  that  to  a  certain  extent  a  relation  exists 
between  the  rotatory  power  of  oils  in  the  same  botanical  group. 
Before,  however,  this  property  of  oils  can  be  turned  to  much 
account  in  judging  of  their  identity  or  purity,  it  will  necessary 
to  collect  a  large  number  of  accurate  observations,  yet  M.  Buig- 
net  has  tried  it  in  the  case  of  neroli  adulterated  with  'petit 
grain,  and  chamomile  mixed  with  turpentine,  and  got  accurate 
results. 
On  submitting  the  fixed  oils  to  the  polarizing  apparatus  he 
found  them  all  indifferent  but  three. 
The  oil  of  the  liver  of  the  ray,       .       .        —  0-20 
«  «  «        squale,       •        •  —  6-82 
Castor  oil,  +  3-63 
The  two  first  oils  are  so  weakly  negative  that  this  property 
is  of  no  use  in  their  identification,  but  in  regard  to  castor  oil, 
it  becomes  a  means  of  recognition.  The  author  tried  this  oil  pre- 
pared four  ways,  with  and  without  heat,  and  found  it  all  to 
possess  this  rotatory  power  to  about  an  equal  degree. 
BERBERIN  IN  HYDRASTIS  CANADENSIS. 
By  F.  Mahla,  Ph.  D.,  Chicago. 
Hydrastis  canadensis  L.,  commonly  termed  Orange  root,  or 
Yellow  Puccoon,  grows  in  rich  woods  from  New  York  to  Wis- 
consin and  southward.  It  is  a  low  perennial  herb,  which 
belongs  to  the  natural  family  of  the  Ranunculacese.  The  root 
of  this  plant  contains  a  large  quantity  of  a  yellow  coloring 
matter,  and  its  juice  has  indeed  been  used  by  the  Indians  to 
color  their  clothing  yellow.  It  has  been  asserted  also,  that  the 
Cherokees  used  to  employ  it  for  the  cure  of  cancers  and  other 
diseases.  In  regular  medical  practice  the  root  itself  was  but 
little  used,  until  the  so-called  Eclectic  and  Botanic  physicians 
began  to  employ  it  largely  in  their  prescriptions.  Of  late  even 
our  regular  physicians  have  begun  to  use  an  article,  which  was 
introduced  by  several  parties  under  the  false  name  of  hydrastin. 
This  so-called  hydrastin  is,  as  some  experiments  lead  me  to  be- 
lieve, not  an  isolated  organic  principle,  but  merely  a  desiccated 
alcoholic  extract  of  the  orange-root,  and  must  accordingly  be  so 
denominated. 
