THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
MAY,  1873. 
ANALYSIS  OF  COPTIS  TRIFOLIA.  SAL1SB. — GOLDTHREAD. 
By  Edward  Z.  Gross. 
Condensed  from  an  Inaugural  Essay. 
The  essay,  which  was  accompanied  by  a  very  good  pencil  drawing 
of  the  plant  with  flowers  and  fruit,  first  gives  the  botanical  history, 
and,  after  some  general  remarks  on  the  properties,  proceeds  to  de- 
scribe the  chemical  examination. 
One  ounce  of  the  herb,  including  rhizome  and  roots,  was  coarsely 
ground  and  macerated  for  twenty-four  hours  in  cold  water,  then  trans- 
ferred to  a  displacement  apparatus  and  exhausted  with  the  same  men- 
struum, when  twelve  fluid-ounces  were  obtained.  This  was  of  a  dark 
yellowish  brown  color,  and  had  the  odor  and  very  bitter  taste  of  the 
plant.  Neither  red  nor  blue  litmus  paper  were  affected  by  it,  prov- 
ing absence  of  free  acids  or  alkalies.  The  presence  of  albumen  was 
clearly  proven  by  coagulation  with  heat. 
Tincture  of  chloride  of  iron  produced  simply  a  dark  coloration 
without  precipitation,  and  without  disappearing  when  heated;  the  in- 
fusion was  likewise  unaffected  by  solutions  of  gelatin  and  of  quinia, 
proving  the  total  absence  of  gallic  and  tannic  acids. 
The  dregs  in  the  percolator  were  next  boiled  in  water  a  short  time, 
strained  and  allowed  to  cool ;  to  the  filtered  decoction  a  few  drops  of 
solution  of  iodine,  in  iodide  of  potassium,  were  added,  without  pro- 
ducing any  change.  No  starch.  As  only  a  small  portion  of  the  in- 
fusion was  used  in  the  foregoing  experiments,  the  balance  was  heated 
to  boiling  to  coagulate  the  albumen,  filtered  and  then  evaporated, 
yielding  an  extract  of  a  brownish  black  color,  which  was  entirely  so- 
luble in  water,  and  was  possessed  of  the  characteristic  bitterness  and 
odor  of  the  plant. 
13 
