12  Salts  of  Berberina.  {^jSHt^T* 
tator  not  exceeding  three  inches  in  diameter,  previously  prepared  for 
percolation.  Cover  the  surface  of  the  powder  with  a  piece  of  blotting 
paper  held  in  position  with  a  few  fragments  of  glass,  add  alcohol  until 
the  percolate  appears  at  the  exit,  then  close  the  orifice,  cover  the  top 
of  the  percolator  tightly  by  tying  over  it  a  sheet  of  soft  rubber,  and 
place  the  percolator  in  a  warm  situation  ;  macerate  twenty-four  hours. 
Remove  the  rubber  and  replace  with  a  cover  of  glass  or  tin. 
Cautiously  open  the  exit  and  graduate  the  dropping  so  that  the  passage 
of  each  fiuidounce  will  occupv  about  thirtv  minutes.  Suspend  the 
operation  when  five  fluidounces  have  been  obtained.  Macerate  until 
the  next  day  under  the  former  conditions,  and  again  procure  five  fluid- 
ounces  of  percolate,  observing  the  preceding  directions.  A  continuous 
supply  of  alcohol  must  be  provided,  the  surface  of  the  powder  must 
not  become  exposed  during  the  operation.  iVIix  the  percolates,  sur- 
round the  vessel  with  ice  and  reduce  the  temperature,  then  add  sul- 
phuric acid  in  excess  and  stir  well,  keep  the  mixture  cold  for  twelve 
or  more  hours,  then  pour  it  upon  a  muslin  strainer  or  a  filtering  paper, 
h.nd  when  the  liquid  ceases  to  pass,  return  the  precipitate  to  a  vessel 
containing  eight  fluidounces  of  cold  alcohol.  Mix  well  together  and 
again  separate  the  crystalline  precipitate  of  impure  sulphate  of  berberina. 
Dry  bv  exposure  to  the  atmosphere. 
Sulphate  of  Berberina. — Add  one  part  of  impure  sulphate  of  berbe- 
rina, obtained  as  above,  to  sixteen  parts  of  cold  distilled  water,  and 
cautiously  drop  in,  with  constant  stirring,  ammonia  water  until  in  slight 
excess.  Allow  the  mixture  to  stand  in  a  cool  place  from  twelve  to 
iwentv-four  hours,  then  filter  and  surround  the  vessel  containing  the 
filtrate  with  ice,  and  stir  sulphuric  acid  into  the  solution  until  the 
ammonia  and  alkaloid  are  saturated.  In  a  few  hours  the  magma  of 
minute  crystals  of  sulphate  of  berberina  can  be  separated  with  a  muslin 
strainer  or  filtering  paper.  Care  must  be  taken  to  avoid  an  excess  of 
sulphuric  acid.  If  this  occur,  the  moist  magma  should  be  removed  to 
a  vessel  containing  cold  alcohol,  washed  by  decantation  and  drained  on 
a  muslin  strainer.     Lastly,  dry  the  salt  by  exposure  to  the  atmosphere. 
Sulphate  of  berberina  is  of  an  orange  color,  soluble  in  about  IOO 
parts  of  water,  tern.  6o°  to  8o°F.  It  is  readily  decomposed  by  alka- 
lies when  in  solution,  yielding  free  berberina. 
I  obtain  from  eighteen  to  twentv-one  ounces  from  a  hundred  pounds 
<of  Hydrastis.    The  specimens  of  salts  exhibited  represent  the  sulphate 
