June 3,187L] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
967 
hitherto unknown world to the dominions of culture. 
Sidon, and afterwards T} r re, the mighty cities of the 
Phoenicians, situated on the east of Palestine, first 
commanded the waters of the Mediterranean, and 
hy the way of the Persian Gulf and the valley of the 
Euphrates'received the spiceries of the East, in which 
they traded with Egypt and the western countries. 
Alexander the Great, on his triumphal return from 
his conquering march over Asia, brought back with 
him to Europe the first knowledge and use of com¬ 
mon pepper. His contemporary, Theophrastus, in 
his * History of Plants,’ thus describes it: “ Pepper, 
indeed, is a fruit, and there are two kinds of it; the 
one is round, like a vetch, having a husk, and rather 
red in colour, but the other is oblong, black, and full 
of seeds, like poppy seeds. Both kinds are heating, 
on which account they are used as remedies for, and 
antidotes against poisoning.” Thus apparently both 
common pepper and capsicums were known as pepper 
from the earliest times. 
Arabia Felix, being out of the line of Alexander’s 
progress through Asia, he left in the quiet possession 
of its most lucrative trade; but in founding the city 
of Alexandria, he established what was, to some 
extent, a rival to the commercial cities of South 
Arabia, and an additional link in the long chain that 
stretched from the gates of Home away into the 
absolutely unknown East. 
In a work entitled the ‘ Periplus of the Erythrean 
Sea,’ written in the early years of the Christian era, 
most minute details regarding the commerce of that 
period are given. As showing the estimation in 
which spices were held in Home, about the time the 
Apostle Paul lay there a prisoner, and when Home 
was in its zenith of wealth, luxury and dissipation, 
we may quote the prices paid for spiceries: — 
£. s. d. 
Cinnamon (then chiefly brought 
from the Regio Cinnamomifera 
or the modern Guardafui) . *0 17 3 per lb. 
Cinnamon Oil.00 0 0 „ 
Black Pepper. 0 3 3 „ 
White ,,. 0 5 9 ,, 
Long ,,.0 12 2 „ 
Cardamoms. 0 9 8 ,, 
Ginger. '..0 4 9 „ 
It is remarkable that in this list neither nutmegs 
nor cloves, two of the most esteemed luxuries of later 
times, appear. These the Homans had not for an¬ 
other 100 years ; it is not till about a.d. 100 that they 
are first spoken of. On two or three of the most 
insignificant islands in the Indian Archipelago, 
heaved up, and still constantly tossed by violent vol¬ 
canic energy, these precious trees had hitherto grown 
and flourished unheeded by the inoffensive savages 
that peopled the isles. It had been well for the 
innocent people had they rooted out and cast into 
the sea the last stump of these trees, for they brought 
on their heads unspeakable sufferings, and on the 
Western nations a load of crime and cruel infamy 
unparalleled among the cruel deeds of mankind. 
Growing upon these very remote islands, and not 
at all cared for by any inhabitants of the Archipelago, 
it is not to be wondered that these most delicate 
substances were so late in being discovered, when 
intercommunication was limited and perilous, and 
* These figures, of course, represent very much less value 
at the present day. 
! among people of sluggish and unadventurous habits. 
The discovery of the virtues of nutmegs and cloves 
is presumed to have been accomplished by the Te- 
lingas of the east or Coromandel coast of India 
about the time of Christ, when by religious per¬ 
secution they were driven in large numbers to the 
islands of the Archipelago. In connection with 
this, Mr. John Crawford, in his ‘ History of the 
Indian Archipelago,’ remarks, “ It is a curious and 
interesting fact that every important change in the 
mode of conducting the commerce of India has 
been the result of, or has followed a religious revo¬ 
lution or convulsion. The trade of the Hindoos 
extended in no direction but towards Arabia until 
a religious schism propelled their enterprise to 
the hitherto unknown countries which yielded 
spices. The Arabian traders went no further east 
than the coast of Malabar, until they acquired 
enthusiasm and energy from the religion of Ma¬ 
homed, when they crossed the Bay of Bengal, colo¬ 
nized in the India islands, and pushed their com¬ 
merce and their settlements to China. Even the 
last great revolution in the commerce of the East, 
effected by the European race, is distinctly connected 
with the great changes in religious, as well as other 
opinions which characterized the commencement of 
the sixteenth century.” 
(To he continued.) 
diopters for Stuknts. 
CHEMICAL NOTES TO THE PHARMACOPOEIA. 
BY WILLIAM A. TILDEN, B.SC. LOND. 
DEMONSTRATOR OF PRACTICAL CHEMISTRY TO THE 
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY. 
Hydrargyri Oxidum Rubrum. 
Some mercury is divided into two equal portions ; 
one is dissolved in nitric acid, and the solution eva¬ 
porated to dryness. 
3Hg-f8HN0 3 =3[Hg2N0 3 ]+2N0-f-4H 2 0. 
The other is then triturated with the dry residue, 
and the whole heated till black, and nitrous vapours 
cease to be evolved; on cooling it becomes red. 
Hg2N0 3 + Hg= 2HgO + 2NO + 0 2 . 
The official product is an orange-red powder. The 
scaly variety commonly seen is made by heating the 
crystallized nitrate. They are identical in composi¬ 
tion and properties, but the yellow oxide precipitated 
in the Lotio Hydr. Flava, or by adding potash or 
soda to solution of mercuric chloride is a distinct 
variety which possesses decidedly greater chemical 
activity. Red oxide of mercury is sufficiently solu¬ 
ble in water to give an alkaline reaction with litmus 
paper. [§ Entirely volatilized by a heat under red¬ 
ness, being at the same time decomposed into mer¬ 
cury and oxygen. If this be done in a test-tube, no 
orange vapours are perceived.] Complete volatiliza¬ 
tion ensures freedom from such things as brick-dust, 
red lead, etc. which would be left behind. The pre¬ 
sence of undecomposed nitrate, a most dangerous con¬ 
tamination, would be shown by the production of 
orange nitrous vapours. 
Red oxide of mercury dissolves in hydrochloric 
acid, forming the perchloride. 
Unguentum Hydr. Oxidi Hubii is frequently apt 
I to become slate-coloured. This arises from a reduc- 
