270  Extraction  of  Hydrastine  and  Berberine.  {Am\l^'\^m- 
pressed  with  his  breadth  of  view,  his  extensive  knowledge  of  French 
literature,  with  which  he  was  as  familiar  as  with  the  master  works 
of  the  scientists  of  the  world.  Early  in  1917  the  malady  with  which 
he  was  afflicted  progressed  rapidly,  but  Tanret's  indomitable  spirit 
was  almost  unconquerable.  He  continued  to  work  to  the  very  end. 
The  night  before  his  death,  he  went  to  his  laboratory  for  the  last 
time.  A  few  hours  later  he  passed  quietly  away.  In  accordance 
with  his  wishes,  the  burial  service  was  exceedingly  simple  and  a 
small  company  of  his  intimate  friends  came  to  express  their  sym- 
pathies and  to  do  honor  to  this  man  of  sterling  worth  whom  they 
had  loved.  M.  Andre,  in  his  biographical  mempir,  concludes  with 
the  following  tribute  to  his  memory :  "  Although  inevitable  troubles 
clouded  certain  portions  of  his  life,  one  instinctively  feels  that,  on 
the  whole,  Tanret  was  a  happy  man.  He  never  exhibited  the 
slightest  trace  of  jealousy  or  envy.  He  rejoiced  in  the  successes 
that  came  to  his  friends  as  though  they  had  been  his  own.  He 
possessed  to  the  depths  of  his  heart  a  love  for  his  family,  devotion 
to  science  and  loyalty  to  his  friends.  Those  who  came  in  contact 
with  Tanret  will  always  cherish  the  memory  of  that  fine  face  and 
feel  a  deep  appreciation  for  the  work  with  which  he  has  embellished 
French  science." 
A  NEW  METHOD  FOR  A  SEPARATE  EXTRACTION  OF 
HYDRA STINE  AND  BERBERINE  FROM  GOLDEN 
SEAL  ON  A  LARGE  SCALE,  AND  A  REVIEW 
STUDY  OF  THE  TWO  ALKALOIDS. 
By  Els  a  Schmidt. 
i.  Hydrastine. — C19H15(0-CH3)202N.  Golden  seal  (ground 
for  percolation)  is  moistened  with  benzol  containing  a  little  ammonia 
and  then  packed  into  a  percolator  and  saturated  with  benzol.  The 
drug  is  left  to  macerate  for  24  hours,  then  percolation  is  started 
and  the  drug  exhausted  with  benzol. 
The  benzol  extracts  are  now  shaken  out  with  dilute  sulphuric 
acid  (3  per  cent.)  the  acid  washings  collected  and  from  it  the  alka- 
loid is  precipitated  with  ammonia.  It  may  be  purified  by  redis- 
solving  and  precipitating,  or  by  recrystallization  from  ethyl  alcohol. 
Properties. — Hydrastine  occurs  in  white  or  creamy  white  glisten- 
ing prisms,  or  as  a  white,  micro-crystalline  powder,  and  is  perma- 
