323 BERBERINE IN BARBERRY AND COLtJMBO ROOT. 
ART. LXVIII.— ON THE OCCURRENCE OF BERBKRINE 
IN THE ROOT OF THE BARBERRY AND COLUMBO- 
By Dr. C. Bodeker. 
The root of Coccuhis palmalus, whicli has long been ex- 
ported under the name of Columbo root from the East Indies 
for therapeutical purposes, contains, as is well known, a non- 
nitrogenous substance, columbine, which has hitherto been 
little examined, and which the author had selected as a fit 
subject for investigation. In the preparation of this sub- 
stance he found along with the colourless crystals of co- 
lumbine some beautiful golden crystals, which dissolved 
readily in hot lime-water with a dark red colour, from 
which solution they separated on the addition of an excess 
of hydrochloric acid in light golden yellow needles, which 
easily dissolve in pure water. From the behaviour of this 
solution it was evident the crystals were the chlorine com- 
pound of an organic base. On this account the substance in 
question was prepared in larger quantity in the following 
manner : — The Columbo root was exhausted with hot 
alcohol of 0.889, as much of the alcohol as possible removed 
^ by distillation ; and whenja yellowish-brown mass of impure 
columbine had separated after three days' standing, the 
supernatant liquid, together with the aqueous solutio|;i 
arising from the rinsing of the impure columbine, was 
evaporated to dryness in the water-bath. The residue was 
exhausted with boiling alcohol of 0-853 spec, grav., and 
this solution again treated as the preceding one. The 
residue was then treated with boiling water, and the filtered 
solution mixed with a considerable quantity of muriatic 
acid. The precipitate thus formed was collected on a filter 
and well pressed between paper. Owing to its great solu- 
bility in pure water and alcohol, it could not be washed, 
