AmJuly^ll>92arm•}  Berberis  Aquifolium  and  B.  Vulgaris.  379 
Valentd  s  Test. — The  authors  conclude  from  the  results  of  their 
experiments  that  this  test  is  surrounded  with  too  many  conditions 
to  be  of  any  practical  value  in  the  general  analysis  of  oils. 
Oleic  Acid. — Although  the  percentage  of  free  acid  cannot  be  looked 
on  as  a  constant,  the  authors  consider  that  it  serves  a  purpose  in 
indicating  to  some  extent  the  condition  of  the  oil,  and  shows  how 
little,  if  at  all,  a  high  free  acidity  affects  the  results  of  analysis. 
ALKALOIDS  OF  BERBERIS  AQUIFOLIUM  AND 
B.  VULGARIS.1 
By  C.  Rudel. 
The  publications  of  Wacker,  of  Hesse,  and  of  Stubbe,  on  the 
alkaloids  of  the  roots  of  Berberis  vulgaris,  and  those  of  Parsons,  of 
Jungk,  and  of  Stubbe  on  the  alkaloids,  of  the  roots  of  Berberis 
aquifolium  show  that  each  contains  three  alkaloids,  and  that  they 
are  in  all  probability  the  same.  The  chemical  formula  and  the 
exact  description  of  the  salts  were  not,  however,  very  perfectly 
denned,  and  the  author  has  endeavored  to  complete  this  part  of 
the  work. 
The  ground  up  roots  were  in  each  case  extracted  with  very  dilute 
acetic  acid,  and  the  extract  was  then  concentrated  to  a  syrup.  Oxy- 
acanthine  was  precipitated  by  sodium  sulphate,  berberine  as  ace- 
toneberberine  (Gaze's  method)  and  berbamine  by  the  addition  of 
sodium  nitrate. 
Oxyacanthine,  C19H21N03 — The  elementary  analyses  of  the  speci- 
mens of  this  alkaloid,  as  obtained  from  the  two  different  sources, 
agreed  closely  with  the  above  formula.  The  melting  point  lay 
between  1740  and  1850;  the  base  appears  to  exist  in  an  amorphous 
and  in  a  crystalline  modification.  It  reacts  with  the  usual  alkaloid 
reagents.  The  salts  prepared  were  the  normal  sulphate,  (C19H2t 
N03)2,H2S04  -f  4H20,  white  and  crystalline ;  the  hydrochloride, 
C19H21N03HC1  -f-  2H20,  prepared  from  the  platinochloride  by  pre- 
cipitating the  platinum  with  hydrogen  sulphide,  white  and  crystal- 
line;  the  platinochloride,  (C19H21N03)2,H2PtCl6  +  5H20,  a  yellow, 
amorphous  salt  which  could  not  be  obtained  crystalline ;  and  the 
aurochloride,  C19H21NG3,HAuCl4  -J-  4H20,  a  golden-yellow,  amor- 
phous substance,  which  likewise  could  not  be  obtained  crystalline. 
1  Arch.  Pharm.,  229,  631-666  ;  Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  1892,  641. 
