THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
SEPTEMBER,  1876. 
CONTRIBUTIONS  FROM  THE  SCHOOL  OF  PHARMACY  OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  MICHIGAN. 
Communicated  by  Prof.  Albert  B.  Prescott. 
IV.  Examination  of  the  Resinoids  Podophyllin,  Cimicifugin,  and  Hydrastin.  Also 
the  Determination  of  Berberina  by  Mayer 's  Solution.    By  L.  F.  Beach,  Ph.C. 
Samples  of  so-called  Resinoid  -Podophyllin,  from  three  manufacturers, 
were  examined  with  the  following  results  : 
No.  1. 
No.  2. 
No.  3. 
Berberina,1  ..... 
Traces. 
None. 
Traces. 
Residue  (of  resin)  after  treating  i  gram  with  2  f. 
oz. 
acidified  water,  .... 
0-830 
0-698 
0-840 
Portion  soluble  by  treating  1   gram  with  10  cc. 
of 
water,  . 
o'o6o 
0*163 
0*099 
No  inorganic  constituents,  no  starches, 
and 
no  sugar 
could  be  found 
in  any  of  the  samples. 
•  Samples  of  Resinoid  Cimicifugin  of  two  manufacturers  were  examined 
as  follows  : 
No  metallic  salts,  no  starches  and  no  appreciable  portion  of  sugars 
could  be  found  in  either.  Both  were  very  nearly  all  soluble  in  alcohol. 
The  solubility  of  each  in  water  and  in  benzene  was  ascertained  by 
digesting  one  gram  in  a  flask  with  10  cc.  of  the  solvent,  then  filtering 
and  washing  the  residue  with  5  cc.  more  of  the  same  solvent,  the 
total  filtrate  being  evaporated  to  dryness  and  its  residue  weighed  : 
Dissolved  by  the  water,  from  No.  1,  0*035  ;  from  No.  2,  0*092 
"  "    benzene,  "  "    criio;     "  "  0*152 
No.  1  was  examined  according  to  T.  E.  Conard's  directions2  for 
1  The  amount  of  alkaloid  in  Nos.  1  and  3  was  hardly  sufficient  for  a  precipitate 
of  potassium  mercuric  iodide  solution,  but  gave  distinct  precipitates  with  phospho- 
molybdic  acid  and  a  decided  reaction  with  Kluge's  test,  given  in  "  Proc.  Am.  Phar. 
Asso.,"  1875,  P*  426- 
2  "Am.  Jour.  Phar."  1871,  151  •  "Proc.  Am.  Phar.  Asso.,11  1871,  264. 
*5 
