Am'MTa°y  r'i9i9arm'  ^  Extraction  of  Hydrastine  and  Berberine.  271 
nent  in  air.  One  gram  is  soluble  in  170  Cc.  of  alcohol,  1.4  Cc.  of 
chloroform,  175  Cc.  of  ether,  freely  in  benzol,  and  almost  insoluble 
in  water.  The  salts  of  it  are  yellow.  Hydrastine  can  be  prepared 
synthetically.  It  is  precipitated  amorphous  from  its  aqueous  solu- 
tion upon  the  addition  of  alkali  hydroxides  or  carbonates,  but  the 
precipitate  assumes  gradually  the  crystalline  form. 
Tests. — An  equeous  5  per  cent,  solution  made  with  the  aid  of 
dilute  hydrochloric  acid  should  not  be  reddened  by  chlorine  water 
(absence  of  and  difference  from  berberine).  A  1  per  cent,  solution 
in  dilute  sulphuric  acid  develops  a  blue  fluorescence  if  potassium 
permanganate  solution  is  added;  but  no  fluorescence  should  be  vis- 
ible before  the  addition  of  the  reagent.  (Distinction  from  hydras- 
tinine)  U.  S.  P.  That  is,  with  oxidizing  agents  in  acid  solutions 
hydrastine  yields  hydrastinine  and  opianic  acid,  while  in  alkaline 
solutions,  hemipinic  and  narcotinic  acids  are  produced. 
Froehde's  reagent  gives  with  hydrastine  a  characteristic,  test.  A 
sage  green  color  appears  slowly  changing  to  brownish  and  then 
gradually  fading. 
Estimation. — The  gravimetric  estimation  of  the  U.  S.  P.  is 
known.  Puckner  states  that  the  following  methods  are  preferable 
to  those  described  in  the  U.  S.  P.  Five  grams  of  the  powdered 
rhizome  of  hydrastis  canadensis  are  treated  with  50  Cc.  of  ether 
and  after  standing  10  minutes,  2  Cc.  of  ammonia  are  added  and 
the  mixture  allowed  to  stand  for  30  minutes  with  frequent  agita- 
tion. The  mixture  is  then  filtered  and  the  residue  extracted  with  a 
second  50  Cc.  of  ether.  The  combined  ethereal  solution  in  first 
shaken  with  2  Cc.  of  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  and  18  Cc.  of  water, 
then  with  10  Cc.  of  water  containing  5  drops  of  dilute  hydrochloric 
acid  and  finally  with  10  Cc.  of  water.  The  combined  aqueous  solu- 
tion is  made  alkaline  with  ammonia  and  extracted  three  times  with 
20  Cc.  of  ether.  The  ethereal  extract  is  evaporated  at  ordinary 
temperature,  the  residue  dried  at  98°-ioo°  and  weighed. 
Note. — The  author  gets  the  best  result  by  letting  10  Gm.  of  the 
powdered  drug  macerate  over  night  in  100  Cc.  of  ether  and  3  Cc.  of 
ammonia,  then  taking  an  aliquot  part  and  continuing  as  above  by 
using  water  and  acid. 
In  the  case  of  the  fluid  extract,  5  Cc.  are  well  shaken  with  an 
equal  volume  of  a  20  per  cent,  solution  of  potassium  iodide  and  20 
Cc.  of  water,  filtered  and  the  precipitate  washed  twice  by  stirring 
with  5  Cc.  of  a  1  per  cent,  solution  of  potassium  iodide,  the  liquid 
