58 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



such seed catalogues as I have seen, except where equally 

 satisfactory accounts were found in other publications. 



The economic value of the fruit has long been known. 

 The southern natives used it as much in ancient times as 

 they do at present. Oviedo, who reached tropical America 

 from Spain in 1514, particularly mentions its uses.* 

 Chanca, physician to the fleet of Columbus in his second 

 voyage to the West Indies, in a letter written to the Chap- 

 ter of Seville in 1494, alludes to it as a condiment. f Its 

 use for this purpose is also mentioned by subsequent writ- 

 ers. In Spain and India as early as the sixteenth century 

 the fruit was employed in dressing meats and was supposed 

 by some to be valuable for dyeing. Medicinally the red 

 pepper was known to assist in the digestion of meats, and 

 when mixed with honey and applied externally was a remedy 

 for quinsy. Mention is also made of its removing freckles 

 from the skin.J It was given for dropsy, colic, ague, 

 toothache, and other ailments. The fruit was given to 

 horses and mules for " dry gripes " brought on by rank 

 and sour grass. If Later, a preparation of Capsicum was 

 given in case of black vomit, and various tropical fevers, || 

 and has been recommended for atonic gout, dyspepsia 

 accompanied by flatulence, tympanitis, paralysis, cynanche 

 maligna and scarlatina maligna.** At the present time 

 Capsicum is employed in medicine mainly as an astringent 

 in the form of a tincture. The ground fruit is used in 

 combination with quinine for malarial fever. When mixed 

 with turmeric and some spice, it forms Curry Powder. 

 The pungency ft is due to an active principle called " cap- 



* Sturtevant, American Naturalist 19: 544. 1885. 



t ITuckiger & Hanbury, Pharmacography 453. 1879 [Engl. ed.]. 



J Gerarde, Herball 293. 1597. 



Parkinson, Theat. Bot. 359. 1640. 



t Miller, Gard. Diet. 1797 [ed. Martyn]. 



|| Phillips, Cult. Veg. 1: 118. 1822. 

 ** Lindley, Veg. Kingdom 621. 1853. 



ft The burning sensation occasioned by eating the pungent varieties 

 may be checked by drinking milk. 



