140 



Indian Pharmacopoeia and Dymock's Materia Medica of Western 

 India. Papain has the effect of curdlini^ milk. Hke rennet, and 

 might be used as a substitute for the latter. The demand for 

 papain is, of course, limited, and the present supply appears to 

 come almost entirely from Ceylon and the West Indies, more 

 especially the island of Montserrat." 



It is stated that the United States is the largest consumer of 

 the article, importing it annually to the value of more than $75,- 

 000. The price paid in the States varies from $1.50 to $3 a 

 pound, according to quality as tested to determine its digestive 

 properties. Mr. Macmillan concludes his treatise as follows : 



"Opinion among large consumers appears to be divided on the 

 present question of the supply and demand, for while some state 

 that the consumption of the drug is on the increase and the 

 prospects are good for marketing larger quantities, others affirm 

 that the only means of extending the market would be in the 

 production of a more carefully-prepared product which would 

 replace the cheaper and adulterated grades, of which considerable 

 quantities are sold. In the course of an article on papain in the 

 Journal of the Royal Society of Arts (September, 1913), the 

 statement was made that 



" 'The United States prefer the inferior qualities from the 

 West Indies, and also desire a white or bleached papain, which 

 the Ceylon natives are not always in a position to supply. Im- 

 porters, however, could, without much difficulty, procure an 

 almost unlimited supply of the best unadulterated Ceylon papain 

 if they were willing to pay a slightly better price for it than for 

 the West Indian product, and would accept it in its natural 

 state.' 



'"Dr. Huybertsz of Kandy, who has devoted some attention to 

 the preparation of papain, states that 'European and American 

 importers object to papain in its natural color, and insist that it 

 be w'hite, or at least light. This, he says, is a great mistake, as 

 it can only be obtained by bleaching — a process which sacrifices 

 therapeutic efficiency for pharmaceutical appearance. Genuine 

 papain is slightly saltish and somewhat acrid. It has a peculiar, 

 unmistakable smell, and the 'feel' of granular papain should be 

 crisp, like biscuit, and easily crushed between the fingers. When 

 it is doughy or sticky it has been adulterated or badly prepared. 

 It has also slight escharotic action, and collectors of the fresh 

 juice frequently blister their fingers. When mixed with water it 

 has a soapy feel.' Up to a comparatively few years ago the 

 value of papain was little understood, and it was mostly used in 

 making mucilaginous ])roducts and chewing-gums. Since then 

 the United States, Cermany and Great 15ritain have taken con- 

 siderable quantities, and it enters into many preparations. Re- 

 cently America has found a new use for the drug, but wliat this 

 is has not yet transpired." 



