Chemical examination of the Hop. 303 
-merce. It has long been known, also, to possess some vir- 
tue as a medicine, and a general description of its character 
and properties is recorded in most Pharmacopeeias. 
Not having seen any accurate analysis of this article, and 
considering it important that the physician should know in 
what part of the plant its medicinal virtue resides, I com- 
menced some experiments with a view to ascertain this 
object. The facts which were developed in the progress 
of the investigation, were, to me, novel and unexpected ; 
and the results to which they obviously led, altogether dif- 
_ ferent from what I had anticipated. ‘The medicinal char- 
acter of the hop was, therefore, now regarded as a subject 
of minor importance ; for however desirable might be the 
merit of introducing to general use, a new and eligible form 
_of medicine, that consideration would excite, comparatively, 
but little solicitude, while there existed a hope of effecting 
an improvement in domestic economy, which would be 
materially interesting to a great portion of the civilized 
world. 
A quantity of hops was precured, which had been kept 
for domestic purposes, in a small bag, for three years. 
When they were taken from the bag, there remained about 
two ounces of an impalpable yellow powder, which, by 
sifting, was rendered perfectly pure. ‘This substance has 
probably been observed by most persons acquainted with 
the hop, and I ae has generally been mistaken for 
pollen, but it is peculiar to the female plant, and is proba- 
bly secreted by the nectaria. It seems to have been more 
correctly appreciated by those accustomed to the domestic 
use of hops, than by many others professing a more scien- 
tific knowledge of their culture, properties, and use. [have 
not been able to find any notice of this powder in books, 
and know not that it has been designated by any appropri- 
ate term. In the following inquiry, therefore, it will be 
_ealled Lupulin. 
Exp. 1.—One drachm of lupulin was boiled with two 
ounces of water, in a small retort, till a third part of the 
water had passed over into areceiver. ‘The fluid that came 
over indicated slightly the peculiar aromatic flavour of the 
hop 3 it was perfectly transparent, very little discoloured, 
and exhibited no appearance of a volatile oil. ‘The water 
remaining in the retort was aromatic and bitter. When 
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