Am'MTafyUri9Pi9arm'  )  Extraction  of  Hydrastine  and  Berberine.  273 
where  barberry  or  golden  seal  is  indicated.  Its  dose  is  from  2  to  20 
grains  in  powder,  or  dissolved  in  water  to  which  a  little  acetic  acid 
may  be  added  to  aid  its  solution. 
Tests. — When  treated  with  sodium  hydroxide  solution,  berberine 
is  colored  brown,  and  upon  boiling  this  brown  solution  a  resinous 
mass  separates.  On  distilling  berberine  with  milk  of  lime,  quinoline 
is  formed.  Fusion  with  potassium  hydroxide  produces  berberic 
acid  CsH804;  and  an  acid  of  the  composition  C8H8Os. 
If  treated  with  nacent  hydrogen,  berberine  is  reduced  to  hydro- 
berberine,  C20H21O4N.  Berberine  dissolves  in  concentrated  sul- 
phuric acid  wtih  an  orange  yellow  color  changing  to  olive-green  on 
warming.  On  addition  of  chlorinated  water  to  a  solution  of  ber- 
berine strongly  acidified  with  hydrochloric  or  sulphuric  acid,  a  zone 
of  bright  red  color  is  formed  at  the  zone  of  junction  of  the  liquids 
and  is  still  recognizable  as  a  pink  coloration  in  a  dilution  of  250,000 
(Allen).  The  reaction  is  destroyed  by  reducing  agents.  (Brucine 
gives  a  similar  indication  with  chlorine  water  but  the  original  solu- 
tion is  colorless  and  the  color  less  permanent  than  with  berberine.) 
Mayer's  reagent  gives  a  precipitate  B2H2HgI4. 
Detection  in  Plants  (Allen). — Five  to  20  Gm.  are  extracted 
with  alcohol,  evaporated,  treated  with  20  to  40  Cc.  of  water  and 
filtered  through  talc.  A  small  portion  of  the  clear  filtrate  is  mixed 
with  a  small  quantity  of  a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  potassium  iodide. 
If  no  precipitate  is  formed  no  appreciable  amount  of  berberine  is 
present,  but  if  a  precipitate  is  deposited  10  Cc.  of  the  original  filtrate 
are  mixed  with  1  to  2  Cc.  of  a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium 
hydroxide,  filtered  if  necessary,  heated  to  50,  treated  with  5  Cc.  of 
acetone  and  allowed  to  stand.  If  after  two  hours  no  crystals  have 
formed,  30  Cc.  of  water  are  added  and  the  solution  kept  in  a  cool 
place  over  night.  In  this  time  crystals  will  form  if  10  Cc.  of 
original  solution  contained  not  less  than  0.01  Gm.  berberine. 
The  crystals  may  be  identified  by  dissolving  in  dilute  hydro- 
chloric acid  and  testing  portions  of  the  solution  with  potassium 
iodide,  potassium  dicromate,  picric  acid,  or  chlorine  water.  When 
no  crystals  form,  although  potassium  iodide  has  given  a  precipitate 
with  the  equeous  solution  of  the  extract,  10  or  20  Cc.  of  the  extract 
are  mixed  with  an  excess  of  a  20  per  cent,  solution  of  potassium 
iodide.  The  precipitate  formed  is  collected  on  a  filter  and  v,rashed 
first  with  dilute  potassium  iodide  solution  and  then  with  water  The 
filtrate  and  washings  are  concentrated  to  about  2  Cc,  treated  vith  a 
