I 
432  NOTE  ON  CAPSICINA. 
NOTE  ON  CA.PSICINA. 
By  Dr.  Emil  Felleta^,  of  Pest. 
Dr.  Emer.  Poor  has  used  capsicum  annuum  (paprika  of  the 
Hungarians),  in  the  general  hospital  of  Pest,  against  intermit- 
tent fever,  and  regards  1  drachm  of  the  powder  as  equivalent  to 
3  drachms  of  powdered  cinchona  bark.  Dr.  Felletarwas  induced 
to  analyze  it,  and  discovered  a  volatile  alkaloid. 
Capsicum  is  boiled  with  water  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid, 
the  decoction  mixed  with  liq.  potassa  and  distilled.  The  distil- 
late has  a  strong  alkaline  reaction,  and  a  penetrating  odor 
strongly  resembling  that  of  conia  ;  it  is  neutralized  with  sulphur- 
ic acid,  evaporated  to  dryness,  exhausted  by  absolute  alcohol  to 
separate  ammonia  salt,  the  solution  evaporated  and  the  residue 
treated  with  potassa  solution,  when  the  strong  stupefying  odor 
of  conia  is  again  developed.  This  alkaline  solution  was  treated 
with  ether ;  the  ether  distilled  off  possessed  a  strong  alkaline 
reaction  and,  besides  the  odor  of  conia,  reminded  somewhat  of 
pepper.  After  the  ether  had  been  distilled  off,  the  residue  in  the 
retort  became  brown  and  decomposed.  On  mixing  the  distillate 
with  a  little  muriatic  acid,  the  odor  disappeared,  and  on  evapo- 
ration a  minute  crystalline  residue  was  left. 
The  author  promises  further  investigations. — Arch.  d.  Pharm. 
1869,  Juni  261,  262,  from  Pharm.  Post,  Vienna,  Aug.  1,  1868. 
ON  THE  VARIETIES  OF  TAPIOCA  AND  SAGO  PREPARED 
IN  THE  MALACCAS. 
It  appears  that,  at  the  request  of  the  resident  Governor  of  the 
Malacca  Islands,  researches  have  been  instituted  concerning  this 
food,  at  the  Laboratory,  at  Welte  Yreden,  Java.  The  authors 
of  this  paper,  MM.  Maier,  Moens,  and  Scharlec,  found, that  three 
varieties  of  sago,  denominated  white,  red,  and  blue,  contain  re- 
spectively— water  16-14,  18*83,  and  1847  per  cent.;  protein 
compounds,  respectively — 3*7,  2-5,  and  2-4  per  cent.;  starch,  fat, 
iScc,  respectively — 79*88,  78*06,  and  78*15  per  cent.;  ash,  re- 
spectively— 0*22,  0*52,  and  0*94:  per  cent. — Chem.  News,  Lond, 
July  16,  1869. 
