58 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
such seed catalogues as I have seen, except where equally 
satisfactory accounts were found in other publications. 
The economic value of the fruit has long been known. 
The southern natives used it as much in ancient times as 
they do at present. Oviedo, who reached tropical America 
from Spain in 1514, particularly mentions its uses.* 
Chanca, physician to the fleet of Columbus in his second 
voyage to the West Indies, in a letter written to the Chap- 
ter of Seville in 1494, alludes to it as a condiment.t Its 
use for this purpose is also mentioned by subsequent writ- 
ers. In Spain and India as early as the sixteenth century 
the fruit was employed in dressing meats and was supposed 
by some to be valuable for dyeing. Medicinally the red 
pepper was known to assist in the digestion of meats, and 
when mixed with honey and applied externally was a remedy 
for quinsy. Mention is also made of its removing freckles 
from the skin.t It was given for dropsy, colic, ague, 
toothache, and other ailments.§ The fruit was given to 
horses and mules for ‘ dry gripes ”’ brought on by rank 
and sour grass. Later, a preparation of Capsicum was 
given in case of black vomit, and various tropical fevers, || 
and has been recommended for atonic gout, dyspepsia 
accompanied by flatulence, tympanitis, paralysis, cynanche 
maligna and scarlatina maligna.** At the present time 
Capsicum is employed in medicine mainly as an astringent 
in the form of a tincture. The ground fruit is used in 
combination with quinine for malarial fever. When mixed 
with turmeric and some spice, it forms Curry Powder. 
The pungency tf is due to an active principle called <* cap- 
* Sturtevant, American Naturalist 19: 544, 1885. 
+ Flickiger & Hanbury, Pharmacography 452, 1879 [Engl. ed.]. 
t Gerarde, Herball 293. 1597. 
§ Parkinson, Theat. Bot. 359. 1640. 
{ Miller, Gard. Dict. 1797 [ed. Martyn]. 
|| Phillips, Cult. Veg. 1: 118. 1822, 
** Lindley, Veg. Kingdom 621. 1853. 
tt The burning sensation occasioned by eating the pungent varieties 
may be checked by drinking milk. 
