162  Xanthorrhiza  Apiifolia,  L'Heritier.  {Am^°r^'Srm- 
The  alcoholic  resin  was  purified  by  repeated  solution  in  alcohol  and 
precipitation  with  water,  when  it  had  the  consistence  of  Burgundy 
pitch,  melted  at  74°  C.  and  dissolved  at  50°  C.  in  all  proportions  of 
absolute  alcohol.  At  15*5°  C.  one  part  of  resin  dissolved  in  23  parts 
alcohol,  2'6  parts  chloroform,  10*5  parts  benzol,  78  parts  carbon  di- 
sulphide,  1200  parts  petroleum  spirit,  and  in  6  parts  solution  of 
potassa  (5  per  cent.).  In  contact  with  camphor,  a  rather  soft  mass  is 
produced,  which  becomes  harder  on  standing.  The  resin  has  a  neutral 
reaction;  its  taste  is  rather  pungent,  with  a  slight  bitterness,  probably 
due  to  adhering  alkaloid. 
The  alcoholic  extract  freed  from  resin  gave  with  potassio-mercuric 
iodide  a  precipitate  equivalent  to  0*28  per  cent,  of  alkaloids.  Precipi- 
tated by  acids  the  following  amounts  of  berberine  were  obtained :  with 
picric  acid  *14,  with  sulphuric  acid  *09,  with  hydrochloric  acid  '10  per 
cent.  After  various  methods  had  been  tried  for  the  separation  of  the 
alkaloids,  the  following  results  were  obtained :  The  alcoholic  tincture 
of  350  gms.  of  the  drug  was  concentrated  to  200  C  c,  mixed  with 
excess  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  set  aside  for  twelve  hours  at  between 
— 2°  and  — 3°  C.  The  filtrate  from  the  impure  berberine  sulphate 
was  freed  from  alcohol  by  evaporation,  poured  into  water  to  separate 
resin,  the  filtrate  precipitated  with  ammonia  and  the  precipitate  puri- 
fied by  washing,  solution  in  sulphuric  acid,  precipitation  by  ammonia, 
solution  in  alcohol,  treatment  with  animal  charcoal,  and  evaporating. 
The  residue  treated  with  chloroform  gave  a  resin-like  mass  which 
could  not  be  crystallized,  and  which,  dissolved  in  acidulated  water, 
gave  alkaloidal  reactions  with  platinic  chloride,  gold  chloride  and 
potassio-mercuric  iodide,  and  the  aqueous  solution,  evaporated,  did 
not  give  the  characteristic  color  reactions  of  berberine  with  Froehde's 
reagent,  sulphuric  acid,  sulphuric  and  nitric  acids,  nitric  acid  or 
chlorine  water  with  hydrochloric  acid.  These  results  show  the  absence 
of  berberine  and  the  presence  of  a  second  alkaloid  in  the  solution  ob- 
tained as  above. 
The  aqueous  extraction  of  the  drug,  on  being  mixed  with  2  parts 
of  alcohol,  precipitated  mucilage  and  albumen;  after  concentration 
and  precipitation  with  4  parts  of  alcohol,  dextrin,  etc.,  was  obtained ; 
glucose  was  estimated  by  Fehling's  solution,  and  saccharose  by  the 
same  test-liquid,  after  boiling  the  liquid  with  hydrochloric  acid  and 
deducting  the  glucose  previously  found. 
