902 



IDTAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



the fruit husk 85*86 percent., (3) the seed 90'4, and (4) the placenta 87"34 

 per cent. The dry matter has the following composition : 



Ether. Nitrogenous Non-Nitrogenous Crude. Nitrogen. 





Ash. extract. 



matter. 



extract. 



1. 



676 10-69 



19-77 



39-82 



2 



5-66 514 



14*31 



49-07 



3 



4-35 27-95 



17-22 



33-07 



4 



11*30 7-07 



28-54 



39-88 





Nitrogen 





Nitrogen 





as ammonia. 





as amides. 



1. 



0-217 





0-093 



2. 



0-195 





0-130 



3. 



0-061 





0-06 1 



4- 



0240 





0*280 



fibre. 



22-95 

 25-83 

 17*36 

 13-48 



Proteid 

 Nitrogen, 



2*321 

 1-792 

 2-938 

 2-403 



3-16 

 2-29 

 2-93 

 4-57 



K. 2 



Na. 2 



MgO 



1. 55-60 



4-42 



6-22 



2. 52-47 



13-16 



5-04 



3. 40-12 



2-50 



10-43 



Fe 2 3 



H\0 2 



CI 



L P44 



2-04 



3*88 



2. 1-69 , 



1-90 



1-44 



3- 0-81 



170 



265 



As regards the 



manufactured 



products, 



The following ash analyses are given of (1) the whole fruit, 

 (2) the husks, and (3) the seed. 



CaO Ai 2 o 3 



4-80 trace 



5-08 0-22 



3-46 — 



So 3 P 2 6 



6-44 16-82 



4*58 14-59 



4-97 33-95 



the ordinary kinds are made by 

 grinding the whole fruit the stem being frequently included ; they have a 

 pale brick-red color. The best preparations are made with the husks and 

 seeds only. To detect adulteration, microscopic examination is necessary, as 

 well as estimation of the ash. The pure ash is usually white or slightly 

 greenish, and dissolves almost entirely in dilute acids. — J. Ch., S. LXIV. pt. 

 IT. (1893) p. 546. 



The oil extracted by ether from the seeds of capsicum becomes green when 

 kept in a vacuum over sulphuric acid. Its sp. gr— 0-91095 at 15° ; iodine 

 number, 119-5 ; Kottsdorfer nurnber=187-2. It contains C— 76'35, H= 11*35 

 per cent. '! he mean of two determinations of free fatty acids (mainly palmitic, 

 with some stearic and oleic acids) in the oil was 2*75 per cent., or 0*64 and 070 

 per cent, in the fresh and dried seeds respectively. The glycerides calculated 

 as olein (which was the chief constituent) amounted to 24*06 per cent, in the 

 dry seeds. When the oil is long exposed to air, an intense green colour is 

 produced owing to the presence of a small quantity of chlorophyll. 



In separating the free fatty acids from the glycerides by extracting once 

 or twice with light petroleum, it was noticed that the acids had a sharp, 

 burning taste, due to the presence of an active substance which was separated 

 in small quantity. This forms white crystals, very readily soluble in chloro- 

 form and ether, rather soluble in light petroleum, sparingly soluble in absolute 



