7o A WILD CUBEB FROM PERAK. 
“The extract was treated with absolute alcohol, which dissolved 2°06 
per cent of the total residue, the remaining 1'02 per cent being insoluble 
and of a black colour. ‘This insoluble black substance was found to be 
freely soluble in alcoholic potash, which when diluted with water gave a 
copious precipitate on the addition of an acid, thus clearly indicating an 
acid resin. The portion soluble in alcohol presented the characters of a 
neutral resin. 
“C. The Alcoholic Extract-——The marc was next exhausted with 
alcohol, which yielded on evaporation 1°48 per cent of solid, which was 
of a dark brown colour, with a bitter taste. 
“Neither alkaloids, glucosides, or sugar in any form could be 
demonstrated in this extract. 
“T). The Aqueous Extract—Further treatment with water yielded 
7°64 per cent of a dark brown solid, containing neither gums nor sugar, 
but a small quantity of starch was present. On dissolving the extract in 
water, adding lead acetate, decomposing the precipitate formed by sul- 
phuretted hy drogen, and concentrating the filtrate, malic acid was faintly 
indicated. ‘Ferric chloride indicated a slight quantity of tannin. A little 
phosphate was also detected. Nitrate “of silver gave no precipitate. 
Glucose and cane sugar were absent in the portion not precipitated by 
lead acetate. The residue from the original powder, after exhaustion 
with the various solvents, was equal to 67°26 per cent. 
“FE. The Ash.—After several determinations, the ash in a sample of 
genuine cubebs, kindly supplied by Mr. Holmes, was found to be 8°31 
per cent. It contained a trace of lithium and a considerable amount of 
potassium, with some calcium. Iron was present to the extent of 0°81 
per cent in the ash, representing 0°007 per cent of the whole drug. A 
green colouration of the ash pointed to the presence of manganese or 
copper, but only the former was found. A typical trade sample of cubebs 
yielded 8°43 per cent of ash, the stalks present yielding 8°26 per cent, 
and the berries, independent of the stalks, 8-1 per cent. 
‘The ash in each case contained iron, together with manganese, 
potassium, and some calcium. 
‘In the case of Piper ribestoides the ash amounted to 4°87 per cent. 
It was of a brown colour and was shown to contain 3°58 per cent of iron 
in the ash, equivalent to "174 per cent on the original drug. There was 
also found a large quantity of potassium, some calcium, manganese, and 
silica. 
‘“As the ash of ordinary cubebs and Piper ribestoides differed so 
greatly in the proportion of iron, it occurred to me that the aqueous 
solutions of the raw drugs might differ in the same way. 
“Tt was found that on digesting the Piper ribesiordes in acidulated 
water for about an hour, a copious precipitate was given with ferrocyanide 
of potassium, thus differing entirely from the samples of ordinary cubebs 
when similarly treated. Again, on a cold decoction being treated with 
iodine, Piper cubeba gave only a slight reaction for starch, whereas 
Piper ribesioides gave quite a dense blue. 
