498 
ON  THE  ALKALOIDS  OF  HYDRASTIS. 
In  commencing  our  investigations,  therefore,  one  of  the  first 
articles  we  took  up  was  the  hydrastis  ;  and  we  thought  we  had  ac- 
quired a  pretty  accurate  knowledge  of  its  constitution,  and  had 
low  powder,  along  with  a  pectin-like  substance.  ...  If  the  precipi- 
tate be  now  treated  with  boiling  alcohol,  only  the  hydrastin  is  taken  up 
and  crystallizes  out  upon  cooling.  By  this  process  much  less  alcohol  is 
lost  than  in  the  process  of  the  Eclectic  Disp.  [Hill's  process]  and  a  much 
finer  looking  product  obtained." 
In  regard  to  hydrastia,  Mr.  Wayne  further  says  :  "  After  I  obtain 
the  hydrastin  from  the  cold  infusion  by  an  acid,  I  add  to  the  acid  liquor 
an  alkali  which  precipitates  a  pale  yellow  powder,  which  being  dried  and 
treated  with  ether  or  alcohol,  the  hydrastia  is  taken  up,  and,  upon  evapo- 
ration, it  is  deposited  in  colored  crystals,  which  by  repeated  solution  and 
crystallization  are  obtained  colorless." 
Dr.  John  King,  in  the  Eclectic  Dispensatory,  says,  page  489—  edit.  1859 
— in  speaking  of  hydrastin  (muriate  of  berberina:)    "  This  elegant  and 
highly  valuable  article  was  introduced  to  the  profession  by  Dr.  H.  H.  Hill, 
of  the  firm  of  F.  D.  Hill  &  Co.,  wholesale  druggists  in  Cincinnati,"  and  the 
process  adopted  by  that  gentleman  is  given  in  detail  at  page  480.  By 
reference  to  the  advertising  sheet  of  the  Eclectic  Medical  Journal  for  Janu- 
ary, 1853,  page  4,  we  find  the  following  note  attached  to  the  name  *  hy- 
drastin '  in  a  list  of  preparations  advertised  by  F.  D.  Hill  &  Co.,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, viz.    This  article,  introduced  by  us  one  year  ago,  is  one  of  the 
finest  extant  amongst  Botanic  medicines.    In  fact  it  is  the  quinine  of 
North  America,7'    Hence  Mr.  Hill  did  not  produce  his  Hydrastin  until  a 
year  after  Durand  wrote,  because  Durand's  Thesis  was  written  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1850 — presented  to  the  College  at  the  session  '50 — '51,  and  of  course 
not  published  till  after  the  spring  commencement  in  the  latter  year.  Mr. 
Wayne's  process  is  also  given  in  that  work,  and  nothing  is  said  in  refer- 
ence to  Mr.  Merrill  in  that  connection,  albeit  he  was  largely  consulted  by 
Dr.  King  in  the  compilation  of  his  work.    Our  own  impression  had  been 
that  Durand's  hydrastia  was  the  only  alkaloid  in  the  hydrastis,  and  that 
the  hydrastin  of  the  Eclectic  Dispensatory  was  the  alkaloid  of  Durand, 
disguised  by  the  yellow  coloring  matter  of  that  author,  [since  shown  to  be 
berberina  by  Dr.  Mania],  and  the  reader  will  find  in  the  Pharmaceutical 
Journal,  vol.  16th,  November,  1856,  page  269,  the  following  note  that  ac- 
companied the  sample  of  Eclectic  hydrastin  then  sent  to  London  :    "  Hy- 
drastin. A  small  specimen  of  this  principle,  which  is  used  by  the  Eclectics 
as  a  remedy,  &c.  &c.    I  believe  the  yellow  color  is  mainly  due  to  adherent 
yellow  resin  or  coloring  matter,  just  as  piperine  is  colored  by  the  resin  of 
pepper  ;"  previous  reference  had  been  made  to  Durand's  discovery  of  the 
alkaloid  on  the  same  page.    From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  at  that  time 
neither  Mr.  Wayne  nor  ourself  had  a  correct  notion  of  the  nature  of  hy- 
