ON  THE  ALKALOIDS  OF  HYDBASTIS. 
501 
the  hydrastia  solution,  large  crystals  soon  appeared,  and  continued 
to  form  until  the  whole  was  a  solid  mass.  Those  under  the  mi- 
croscope appear  long,  slender,  and  bright  yellow.  The  berbe- 
rina  solution  slowly  evolved  fine  crystals,  much  less  copiously, 
and  these  under  the  micoscope  have  a  brownish  hue. 
The  behaviour  with  iodide  of  potassium  was  much  the  same, 
and  the  distinctions  similar. 
4.  Equal  solutions  were  treated  with  neutral  acetate  of  lead. 
Both  gave  copious  yellow  precipitates,  but  that  of  the  berberina 
appeared  perfectly  amorphous  under  the  microscope  (of  150 
diam.)  while  that  of  the  hydrastia  was  resolved  into  a  mass  of 
silky  crystals. 
Several  other  similar  tests  were  applied,  some  of  which 
showed  no  appreciable  difference  between  the  two  salts,  while  in 
others  differences  were  discovered  that  tended  to  confirm  the 
conclusions  drawn  from  the  above,  and  named  in  our  letter  of 
June,  viz.,  that  the  two  bases  were  not  identical.  We  did  not 
resort  to  ultimate  analysis,  for  want  of  suitable  apparatus. 
We  have  not  been  able  to  repeat  or  extend  these  experiments 
for  want  of  suitable  material  from  which  to  prepare  a  better 
specimen  of  berberina.  But  we  have  since  prepared  the  mu- 
riate of  the  alkaloid  base  of  the  xanthorhiza,  of  which  we  send 
you  a  sample  labelled  ,  "  mur.  xanthia"  and  this  we  have  sat- 
isfied ourselves  is  identical  with  that  of  the  hydrastia,  and  this 
fact,  together  with  the  analyses  of  Mahla  and  Perrins,  leads  us 
to  believe  our  experiments  above  stated  to  be  delusive,  in  con- 
sequence of  some  imperfection  in  our  preparation  of  the  berbe- 
rina, of  which  we  had  but  a  small  quantity.  Hence  we  admit 
the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Perrins,  that  the  yellow  coloring  principle 
of  the  hydrastis,  the  berberis,  and  the  xanthorhiza,  are  in  all 
probability  identical. 
What  then  is  the  appropriate  name  of  this  beautiful  alkaloid  ? 
The  hydrastis  is  by  far  its  most  copious  source,  and  that  from 
which  it  will,  no  doubt,  be  chiefly  obtained;  and  on  this  account 
should  have  the  preference  in  giving  it  its  name.  Moreover,  its 
salts  will,  without  doubt,  become  important  agents  in  the  ma- 
teria medica,  and  it  is  very  desirable  on  this  account  that  its 
name  should  point  to  the  plant  from  which  it  is  derived.  These 
I  think  strong  arguments,  especially  the  latter,  in  favor  of  the 
