SEEDS AND FRUITS. 



133 



berries are hlack pepper, and the ripe berries deprived of their 

 outer skins constitute white pepper. Oerstedt detected a matter 

 in tliis seed, which Jie called piperin, a peculiar vegetable prin- 

 ciple. It is composed of piperin C^"H'2"2O^N=340. An acid, 

 fatty matter, a volatile oil, extractive, gum, starch, bassorin in 

 abundance, a malate, and some other salts. 



J9. Cubebs are the berries of the piper cubeba, and are simi- 

 lar in appearance to pepper-corns. They are of an aromatic 

 and acrid taste, and contain a peculiar vegetable principle 

 called cubebin. 



20. Cayenne pepper is the fruit of the capsicum annuum, a na- 

 tive of India, but cultivated in the West Indies. The following 

 is the analysis of Braconnot : 100 parts contain of 



Starch 9. 



A very acrid oil 1.9 



Wax, with red coloring-matter 0.9 

 Gum of a peculiar nature 



Animalized matter 5.0 



Citrate of potash 6.0 



Lignin 67.8 



6.0 Muriate & phosphate of potash 3.4 



100.0 



The acrid oil gives it its peculiar bitter and burning taste. It has 

 been called capsicin. Cayenne is a well-known spice, and is 

 much used in the preparation of Thompsonian nostrums. 



21. Jamaica pepper (pimento), the fruit of the rmpius pimento, 

 resembles bladk pepper, and is prepared in the same w^ay from 

 the unripe berries. Their odor and taste resemble a mixture of 

 pepper, cinnamon and cloves. The following is the analysis of 

 Bonastre, of 100 parts. 



3.2 

 8.0 

 1.6 



16. 



1.9 

 3. 



98.2 



22. TVxmanncfe' consist of the pulpy matter which fills the 

 pods of the tamarindus Indica. It is a well known sweet-meat, 

 brought to this country preserved in sugar. It consists, ac- 

 cording to the analysis of Vauquelin, of 



