570 PIPERACE^. 



arranged perpendicularly in three or four storeys; mixed with the 

 grains were <a few long, simple hairs. Another fact of some interest is, 

 that at a temperature of OS"" to 100'' C, this drug becomes quite black, 

 while kamala undergoes no change of colour. 



In 1878 our friend Professor Schiir was informed by a Swiss firm, 

 Messrs. Furrer and Escher of Aden, that Kanbil, Qinbil or Kamala are 

 unknown there. But they sent under the name of Vars a powder, 

 which Prof. Schiir as well as one of us (F.) find identical with the 

 drug which had been imported by Messrs. Allen and Hanbury. ^ Prof. 

 Schiir was also informed that Vars is used chiefly in the coast districts 

 of Mascat (Oman) and Hadramaut, in skin diseases, for expelUng the 

 tape worm and as a dye. 



Thus the appellation Wurrus or Waras is to be restricted to the 

 dark purple or violet glands occurring in eastern Africa and Yemen, 

 although the Waras sent to one of us* by Vaughan was kamala. 



As to the mother-plant of Waras ^ we have no information to offer; 

 we attempted in vain to ascertain its origin. It is evident that it is 

 the *' black Abyssinian" powder abeady alluded to at page 573. 



PIPEHACE^. 



FRUCTUS PIPERIS NIGRI. 



Piper nigrum; Blade Pepper ; ¥. Poivre noir ; G. Schivarzer Pfeffe)\ 



Botanical Origin — Piper mgriim L. — The pepper plant is ^ 

 perennial climbing shrub, with jointed sterns branching dichotomonslyi 

 and broadly ovate, 5- to 7-nerved, stalked leaves. The slender flower- 

 spikes are opposite the leaves, stalked, and from 3 to 6 inches long; 

 and the fruits are sessile and fleshy, i 



Piper nigrum, is indigenous to the forests of Travancore anU 

 Malabar, whence it has been introduced into Sumatra, Java, Borneo, 



West 



History— Pepper 3 is one of the spices earliest used by manlvind, 

 and although now a commodity of but small importance in comparison 

 with sugar, coffee, and cotton, it was for many ages the staple article 

 of trade between Europe and India. It would require in fact a y^^^^'j^^ 

 togive a full idea of the prominent importance of pepper dunn- 



middle acres. 



In the 4th century B.C., Theophrastus noticed the existence or u 

 kmds of pepper (xexe^t). probably the Black Pepper and Long rep} o 

 of modern times. Dioscorides stated pepper to be a production 

 India, and was acquainted with White Pepper (XevKov irlirepi). . y 

 mforraation on the same subject is curious ; he tells us that in his tii 

 a pound of long pepper was' worth 15, of white 7, and of black pepi 

 4 denarii; and expresses his astonishment that mankind shouia 



Imost all Ian- 



Hanbury, Science. Papers, 7.S. varieties has passed into almost « ^^^ 



Some information will be met %vith in guagca, comes from the Sanskrit »»! , 



Capt. Hunter's Account of Ada,, 1S77. p. Long Pepper, pipped!, the change oi .^ 



IrL l^ ^V^;.^^'^ ^^'^'^ ^-^'^ «P0rtc\l intoi haN^g been made by the Per ian«;_ 



from Aden 42, 975 lb. of Waras. ^ whose ancient language the / is wantm. 

 The word pepper, which with sli-ht 



