V 
310  ON  BAPTISIA  TINCTORIA. 
Iiydrastin  (berberin)  with  the  alkaloid  in  Xanthorrhiza  apiifolia  was  proba- 
bly formed  prior  to  Mr.  Pen-ins'  announcement  of  that  fact,  although  Mr. 
Perrins  has  a  just  claim  to  its  discovery. 
It  may  be  asked  why  did  not  Durand  notice  the  substance  since 
called  hydrastin  by  the  Eclectics,  which  Dr.  Mahla  proves  to  be  muriate  of 
berberina  ?  In  referring  to  his  paper  it  will  be  found  that  Mr.  Durand  con- 
sidered it  to  be  "yellow  coloring  matter,"  as  when  bichloride  of  tin  was 
added  to  the  alcoholic  tincture,  it  produced  "  a  most  brilliant  yellow  pre- 
cipitate," which  was  most  probably  muriate  of  berberin,  with  subchloride  of 
tin.  We  have  in  possession  a  phial  presented  to  us  by  Mr.  Durand  in 
1851,  labelled  "  hydrastin," — well  crystallized,  of  a  straw  yellow  color  ;  and 
another  specimen  made  and  presented  by  Mr.  Edward  S.  Wayne,  of 
Cincinnati,  in  1856,  identical  in  appearance  and  character  with  it,  except 
that  it  is  lighter  in  color.  Last  spring  we  examined  a  very  beautiful 
crystallized  specimen  of  Durand's  hydrastia,  made  by  Mr.  Wm.  S.  Merrill, 
of  Cincinnati,  but  which  was  darker  colored  than  either  Durand's  or 
Wayne's,  which  may  have  been  due  to  the  larger  size  of  the  crystals.  In 
conclusion  we  will  remark,  that  the  well  defined  chemical  characters  of 
the  peculiar  alkaloid  of  hydrastis,  the  bitterness  of  its  salts,  and  the 
great  esteem  in  which  the  plant  is  held  by  Eclectic  practitioners,  all 
point  to  the  propriety  of  our  physicians  submitting  this  alkaloid  to  a 
therapeutical  examination  to  ascertain  its  real  merit  in  an  isolated  form. 
If,  as  Mr.  Merrill  suggests,  its  tonic  power  is  of  a  kind  appropriate  for 
children,  the  tasteless  character  of  the  pure  alkaloid,  as  he  remarks,  may 
be  favorably  seized  on  as  a  form  suitable  for  its  exhibition. 
ON  BAPTISIA  TINCTOKIA. 
By  Bennett  L.  Smedley. 
(An  Inaugural  Essay.) 
Wild  indigo  is  a  small  perennial  shrub  found  in  all  parts  of 
the  United  States,  growing  generally  in  woods  and  dry  barren 
soil. 
The  root  is  externally  of  a  dark  brown  color  :  internally 
lightish  yellow,  containing  a  small  ligneous  cord,  rendering  it 
very  difficult  to  pulverize.  The  stem  is  from  two  to  four  feet 
in  height,  much  branched,  and  bearing  a  small  yellow  flower, 
and  is  characterized  by  turning  of  a  blue  color  on  being 
dried.    The  fruit  is  an  oblong  pod  of  a  bluish  black  color. 
On  the  application  of  heat  to  a  slightly  alkaline  infusion  of 
the  root,  I  detected  the  presence  of  albumen,  the  existence  of 
which  was  also  indicated  by  a  turbid  appearance  being  produced 
