PIPERAGEJEJ. 183 



moisture. Cabebiu is 



^(L 



soluble in liot water. Beruatzik (18G6) obtaiuccl from cubebs 

 0-40per cent, of cubobin, Schmidt {1870} 2'D per cent. The 

 cijstals, which are deposited in an alcoholic or ethereal extract 

 of cubebs, consist of impure cubebiu. Cubebiu is devoid of 

 any remarkable therapeutic action ; its composition, according- to 

 Weidel (1877), answers to the formula C'lI^^O'' ; by mcltino" it 

 with .caustic potash, it is resolved into acetic and proiocatechuic 

 acid«. 



The resin e:s:tracted from cubebs ^consists of an indifferent 



about 



AcMy amoxmting 



1 per cent, of the drug. Both are amorphous, according 

 to Schmidt, like the salts of cubebic acid. Bcrnatzik, however, 

 found some, as the barium salt, to be crystallizable^ Schulze 

 (1 873^ prepared cuhebic acid from the ^crystidlized sodium-salt, 

 but was unable to obtain it crystalline, Tlie resins, the 

 indifferent as well as the acid, possess the therapeutic 

 properties of the drug. Schmidt further pointed out the 

 presence in cubebs of gum (8 per ^ent.), fatty oil, and malatcs 

 of magnesium and calcium. The yield of ash, accordiup; to 



iiecke 



Gommcrce. — Bombay is supplied with the driig from Singa- 

 pore. There is a good demand for it, and tlie consumption in 

 natiTO practice appears to be increasing. Value— Formerly 

 cubebs was obtainable in the Indian markets at from 4 to 5 

 annas per lb., but for the last eight y^ars the price has been 

 seldom less than He. 3 per lb. 



PIPER BETLE, Lbm. 



Fig.~mff/d Ic.,t. ^926; Miq. I/L Pij)., /. 39^ Bot Mag., 



t 3132 ; Meede, Hort. Mai vii., t 15. Bctle Pepper (Ena ) 

 Poivrier de Betel {Fr.). ^ J^h 



Hab. 



Malav Islands. The 



India 



Venmcidar.—V^ciTi {Hind., Benrj., Gnz., iUar.), Vettilai (Ta/;^.), 

 Naga-valU {Tel), Velrila {MaL), Yiledele {Can.). 



