380  Alliaceous  Plants  and  their  Products.  {Am'j&™:wtTm' 
These  salts  of  oxyacanthine  from  different  sources  were  alike  in  all 
respects. 
Berbamine,  C18H19N03,  separated  from  the  solution  of  the  alkaloids 
by  the  addition  of  sodium  nitrate,  was  purified  by  precipitating  the 
solution  of  the  sulphate  with  ammonia  and  recrystallizing  from 
anhydrous  ether.  Thus  obtained,  it  forms  a  fine,  white,  crystalline 
mass.  The  specimens  from  both  sources  proved  to  be  identical. 
The  following  salts  were  prepared :  the  normal  sulphate,  (C18H19 
N03)2,H2S04  -f  4H20,  crystalline  ;  the  platinochloride,  (C18H19N03)2, 
H2PtCl6  -f-  5H20,  a  light-yellow,  amorphous  powder;  and  the  auro- 
chloride,  C18H19N03,HAuCl4  -f  5H20,  a  golden-yellow,  amorphous 
powder. 
Berberine,  C20H17NO4,  was  most  readily  separated  by  Gaze's 
acetone  method.  Acetoneberberine,  C20H17NO4,C3H6O,  was  obtained 
as  a  lemon-yellow,  crystalline  powder ;  acid  berberine  sulphate, 
C20H17NO4,H2SO4,  prepared  by  treating  acetoneberberine  with  dilute 
sulphuric  acid,  is  a  pale-yellow,  crystalline  salt;  the  nitrate,  C20H17 
N04,HN03,  prepared  by  treating  the  acetone  compound  with  the 
exact  quantity  of  nitric  acid,  is  a  crystalline,  yellowish-red  salt ;  the 
platinochloride,  (C2H17N04)2,H2PtG6  -f  H20,  prepared  by  precipitat- 
ing the  hot  solution  of  the  hydrochloride  with  platinum  chloride,  is 
obtained  as  a  yellow,  crystalline  precipitate ;  the  hydrochloride, 
C20H]7NO4,HCl  -f-  4H20,  obtained  by  decomposing  the  acetone  com- 
pound with  hydrochloric  acid,  is  a  light  orange-yellow-colored  salt. 
Since  Gaze  found  a  "methylberberine "  accompanying  the  ber- 
berine which  he  obtained  from  hydrastis  berberine,  the  author  con- 
verted a  considerable  quantity  of  his  berberine  specimen  into  hydro- 
berberine,  by  reduction  with  zinc  and  sulphuric  acid,  and  searched 
very  carefully  among  the  crystals  of  hydroberberine  which  were 
obtained  for  any  second  substance.  No  such  other  alkaloid  could, 
however,  be  found. 
ALLIACEOUS  PLANTS  AND  THEIR  PRODUCTS. 
By  P.  L.  SimmondSj  F.L.S. 
[Concluded  from  p.  329.] 
Passing  now  to  the  products  of  the  Ferulas,  the  best  asafcetida  is  called 
Hing,  which  literally  means  the  pure  or  superior  drug.  The  term  hira-hing 
is  applied  to  a  treacly  liquid  found  in  the  centre  of  the  goat  skin  bales 
from  Kandahar.  This  form  of  the  drug  has  from  the  remotest  times  been 
held  in  great  esteem  by  Eastern  doctors,  and  was  once  regarded  as  worth  its 
