1822.] Chemical Examination of Cuhebs, 36S 



residuum is transparent, solid, and possesses an acrid taste ; 

 and is soluble in ether, alcohol, and potash, from which it is pre- 

 cipitated by an acid. When compared with balsam of copaiva, 

 it bears some resemblance to it, but there are some points of 

 difference. When it is procured by means of ether, its colour 

 is hke that of balsam of copaiva. 



When these substances are put into distilled water, they 

 impart a disagreeable taste to it ; if these solutions be afterwards 

 evaporated, extractive matters are obtained, which bear the 

 strongest resemblance to each other, and when treated with 

 sulphuric acid, assunie a colour varying from rose-red to pur- 

 plish-violet. The balsam of copaiva treated with this acid suf- 

 fers the same changes, excepting that the colour produced by it 

 is not so fine. 



The matter from the cubebs dissolved in alcohol and submitted 

 to distillation gives some volatile oil; the same happens with 

 the balsam of copaiva, but the odour of the latter is more disa- 

 greeable than that of the former. 



Ether has similar action upon these two substances : the mat- 

 ter of the balsam of copaiva when treated with carbonate of soda 

 becomes of a fine white colour ; the resin of the cubebs assumes- 

 a light yellow ; the two solutions underwent different changes 

 by ebullition, that of the balsam of copaiva did not afford any 

 precipitate ; the contrary occurred with the substance obtained 

 from the cubebs. 



Notwithstanding these slight differences, which may depend 

 upon some colouring principle retained by the resin of the cubebs, 

 there can be no hesitation in believing that a strong resem-* 

 blance exists between it and the balsam of copaiva, and that it 

 is this peculiar matter in which that property resides that has 

 been discovered and employed in the cure of gonorrhoea. 



Being desirous of discovering whether the kernel contained 

 any essential oil, I separated the shells very perfectly, and sub- 

 mitted the kernels to distillation. I obtained by this process a 

 distilled water similar to that which had been procured from the 

 entire grain ; some small drops of oil were apparent at the sur- 

 face of the water ; but the smallness of the quantity prevented 

 me from making an exact comparison between it and that 

 obtained from the entire cubebs. 



About 150-5 grains of cubebs were burnt, and left an ash, 

 weighing about one grain ; it had a green colour, like that com- 

 municated to potash by manganese. Treated with water, this 

 residuum lost nearly half a grain of soluble salts, composed of 

 subcarbonate, phosphate, and a little muriate of potash. The 

 residuum insoluble in water was taken up by muriatic acid, 

 excepting a small quantity of silica: this solution was found 

 upon examination to be composed of phosphate of magnesia, and 

 a trace of iron and manganese. 



