173 
Roxb. (C. M Ri iL Bl.), said to be imported from Japan. In 
voe eiim of its elean, bright, and attractive appearance it has 
ommanded a higher prit than other varieties. Mr. J. C, Umney 
lind recently direeted my attention to the fact that this variety is less 
pungent than the Sierra Leone and Zanzibar varieties, although 
far superior to them tm colour. On further inquiry I find that 
this fact is well known to drug and spice brokers. Mr. Umney 
points out that when an alcoholic tincture of the Japanese and 
Zanzibar varieties are respectively diluted Wer about 14 parts of 
water, the former gives a much clearer solution than the latter, 
indicating less oily matter. All the bright red Üay enne pepper until 
that state. The entire pod pepper imported from Natal is a 
of chillies at €— in English commerce eoi am in one 
those of Sierra Le and Zanzibar, the former being of 
seal pS un ‘tent, aes pm latter of a dull, dark red, and often of 
inferior quality, containing badly-dried. fruits, stalks, and foreign 
t 
ut both 
The latter is, however, quite pungent enough for most people, 
although perhaps unsuitable, by reason of its lesser pungencr, for 
medicinal hororon; as an outward — ete. Iam indebted 
to Mr. ung, of the firm of Messrs. Dalton and Da for 
information concerning the different saeco varieties and for 
specimens illustrating them. My object in directing attention to 
these commercial varieties es to point out to students and to retail 
chemists that there are often differences in the qualities and 
appearance of the same drug, which are worthy of careful obser- 
vation, not e from a scientific, but also from a commercial point 
pal Cayenne pepper is made from a small variety 
of € désert: annuum, and is remarkable for its violet odour 
Neither this kind nor the Zanzibar gives a red, but a brownish, 
powder. 
The following comments on uote. Holmes' paper were made at 
the meeting by Mr. MacEwan 
“The subject of cayenne mor was interesting to ma 
chemists dme apart from medicinal purposes, probably more 
capsicum being sold for feeding birds than for any other purpose. 
he pepper used in that way was tasteless, and seemed to contain 
a large amount of fatty matter. lt was dark in colour, and the 
object was to heighten the colour of the feathers. It wi 
supposed to come from Capsicum annuum, and he should much 
I onl 
like to know where it came from. It was only nipe Ay two 
or three houses, and attempts by others to vista it h t been 
very successful. There was no doubt that the pepper as 
qae : 
an untreated product. The a Dr. Brady, on his return from 
Japan, passing through Vie came across a comparatively 
tasteless pepper, which pears pdilirablo discussion at the time, 
ere was a large amount of it on the market, but the substance 
had bee n pretty much lost sight of since. He thought it would 
well repay inquiry, as very little had been done on the subject of 
peppers since Dr. Thresh dealt with it about eighteen years ago," 
