450 CAYENNE PEPPER. 



In connection with these figures it may be remarked that the 

 British Pharmacopoeia lays down 6 per cent, as the maximum 

 of ash in Capsicum minimum. On the other hand, the Con- 

 necticut Agricuhural Experiment Station has found that pure 

 Cayenne pepper contains between 4"5 and 8 per cent, of ash, 

 and at least i6 per cent, of non-volatile ether extract.* The 

 ash in Cayenne pepper, according- to Battershall. ranges from 

 5'5 to 6 per cent. In the Analyst, Vol. 28, p. 204, Chatta- 

 way and Moor point out that the British Pharmacopoeia limit 

 of 6 per cent, of ash is too lozv, seeing that Moor had found 

 over 7 per cent, in some samples analysed by him. Beythieu 

 also found up to /■/ per cent. They therefore suggest 8 per 

 cent, as a maximum not to be exceeded. 



There is some doubt, as well as difference of opinion, amongst 

 authorities as to whether Cayenne pepper contains or does not 

 contain starch. Those who hold the affirmative view distinctly 

 declare that the starch is small and scanty. But the very fact 

 of there being discordance of view at all amongst experienced 

 investigators seems in itself to be sufficient evidence that the 

 starch grains cannot possibly be either large or abundant; were 

 the latter the case they could not possibly be missed by com- 

 petent observers, and in that event no difference of opinion 

 amongst authorities could possibly exist. 



In the U.S.A. standards (No. 3 above), it is laid down 

 that the amount of starch in Cayenne pepper should 

 not exceed i'5 per cent., while in the analyses quoted 

 by Leach (No. 5) the percentage of starch is put down at i"oi. 

 Konigt gives i'i3 as the mean percentage of starch from eleven 

 analyses, some of which, however, e.g., Clifford Richardson's, 

 I have already mentioned. From all these figures one may 

 infer that Cayenne pepper does contain at least some starch. 

 But just about this point there is a measure of diversity of 

 opinion, although not as radical a diversity as may appear on 

 the surface. To make the matter quite clear let me summarise 

 the expressed views of the authorities whose definitions have 

 been already quoted, together with some others : 



(A.) The British Pharmacopoeia, enumerating the characters 

 of Capsicum minimum, omits all mention of starch, an omission 

 which is inconceivable if appreciable quantities of starch are 

 present. 



(B.) " vStarch must be absent " (from Capsicum mininium) 

 according to Moor's " suggested standards." He enumerates 

 "the addition of starchy matters" amongst the adulterations, 

 but says that " a sample examined by Stock in 1896 contained 

 starchy matter." It is not clear, however, whether this last 

 was not a sample obtained in commerce. 



(C.) Leffmann and Beam {op. cit., p. 304) say distinctly — 

 and their definition of Cayenne pepper must here be kept in 

 mind — " Cayenne pepper contains no starch," and under the 

 head of " Adulteration," they say, " Starch-containing- 

 materials are readily detected by the microscope or by the iodine 



* See Leffmann and Beam, op. cit. 

 t op. cit.. Vol. 2, p. 1041. 



