AXGOSTUEA. 107 



but of very strong, pungent taste. As this was entirely soluble in 

 crystallisable acetic acid and in dilute alcohol, it may be concluded 

 that it was a resin, and that grains of Paradise do not contain any 

 fixed oil. 



The pungent principle contained in Grains of Paradise has been 

 isolated and examined by Dr. Thresh and named Faraclol. Its 

 description was given in a very interesting paper on " The Pungent 

 Principles of Plants " read at the 21st Meeting of the Pharmaceu- 

 tical Conference.* What is meant by " Pungent principles " is a 

 class of bodies destitute of odour, possessing a purely burning 

 taste, and neither bitter, nauseous, nor acrid. The best known drugs 

 containing such principles are cayenne pods, the rhizomes of ginger 

 and galangal, the peppers, and Grains of Paradise. These 

 principles are readily soluble in 50 per cent, alcohol. 



Grains of Paradise are sometimes met with in the shops of 

 European druggists under the name of Semina Cardamomi majoris, 

 a name mentioned in the very early European works on pharmacy, 

 notably in the " Tliesaurus Aromatariorumy printed at Milan in 

 1496 ; it is there called Gardamomum majiis, also Hcil, the name 

 under which the ancient Arabian physicians described the 

 Amoimim Kororima or Cardamormim majus of Matthiolus. 



Angostura. 



True Angostura is the bark of Grcdipea Cusparia, A. Saint-Hilaire 

 (ex De Cand. Prodr. i. p. 731). Syn. Cusimria febrifuga, 

 Humboldt ; Gcdipea officinalis, Hancock ; Bonplandia trifoliata, 

 Willdenow : Avgostura trifoliata, Kgemer et Schultes ; Galipea 

 febrifuga, Baillon. Figured in Bentley and Trimen, Med. Plants, t. 

 43. 



The tree yielding this bark is found in abundance on the mountains 

 of San Joaquim de Caroni in Venezuela between the 7th and 8th 

 degrees of latitude, and is especially common in the country about 

 the gulf of Santa Fe. It was found by Hancock in the districts of 

 Tmneremo, Uri, Alta Gracia and Gupapui, which are situated on 

 the east of Caroni river, and near to its junction with the Oronoco. 

 The name "Angostura " appears to have been originally applied to 



* Pharm. Journ., [3] xv. p. 208. 



