Du Mez—The Galenical Oleoresins. 
1029 
The amount present in Capsicum fructescens has not been re¬ 
ported. 
Capsicine. According to Felletar 12 and Thresh, 13 capsicine 
is present in the fruits of Capsicum annum and C. fastigiatum. 
The latter describes it as an alkaloid possessing an odor simi¬ 
lar to that of coniine. The hydrochloride is stated to have been 
isolated in the crystalline form and to be precipitated from 
aqueous solution by the usual alkaloidal reagents. Pabst 14 
states that the base is not a normal constituent of the fruits 
of Capsicum annum, but that it is formed when the latter are 
stored or by the action of various reagents. 
Resin. Resin is mentioned by several investigators 15 as a 
constituent of the fruits of the red peppers. Apparently noth¬ 
ing has been done toward determining its composition or proper¬ 
ties. 
Coloring Matter. The red color of the capsicum fruit as 
well as that of the ethereal extract appears to have attracted 
the attention of all investigators, although, Pabst, is the only 
observer who attempted to identify the substance. He concluded, 
from saponification experiments, that it was a cholesterin ester 
of a fatty acid. 16 
Ash. According to von Bitto, 17 the ash of capsicum is com¬ 
posed of the basic elements, K, Na, Mg, Ca, Fe, A1 and Mn 
combined with the acid radicles Cl # , Si0 3 ", S0 4 ", P0 4 "', N0 3 ' 
and C0 3 ". 
The ash content of red pepper varies with the variety of the 
fruit. 18 That of the commercial drug is also influenced by 
the presence of sand. The ash of Capsicum fructescens (sand 
free) amounts to about 4.90 per cent of the dried fruit. 19 
12 Vierteljahrschr. f. prakt. Pharm. (1868), 17, p. 360; Buchner’s Repert. 
f. d. Pharm. (1828), 27, p. 35; Proc. A. Ph. A., (1871), 19, p. 289. 
“Pharm. Journ. (1876), 35, p. 941. 
«Z. c. 
15 Strohmer, Pabst, Tolman and Mitchell, Z. c. 
19 Pabst, Z. c. 
17 Landw. Versuchsstat. (1893), 42, p. 369. 
18 Tolman and Mitchell give the ash content of sand free Capsicum annum 
as 6.69 to 7.54 per cent. Bull. 163, Bur. of Chem., Dept of Agr., Washington, 
1913. 
19 McKeown gives the ash content of Capsicum fastigiatum as 4.50 to 4.95 
per cent. Am. Drugg. (1886), 14, p. 128. 
Tolman and Mitchell report the sand free ash content of Capsicum fruc¬ 
tescens (African) as 4.49 to 5.44 per cent, that of the fruits of the same 
variety coming from Japan as 4.60 to 5.35 per cent, Z. c. 
