106 
ON MATICO. 
The leaves of matico, treated with boiling alcohol, yield 
a quantity of dark-green extract, almost entirely soluble in 
sulphuric ether ; warm to the taste, and containing a nota- 
ble quantity of vegetable wax, resembling in its properties 
the wax obtained from lac, and of which a very small pro- 
portion, dissolved in boiling alcohol, will cause it to solidify 
on cooling. Its active properties seem to reside in its resin 
and essential oil, as is the case with others of its family, for 
although it yields a large proportion of aqueous extract, (one- 
fourth of its weight,) yet this extract has little, if any, of the 
peculiar properties of the plant — it is slightly bitter and as- 
tringent, but possesses even these properties in no remarka- 
ble degree ; it is therefore evident that the alcoholic extract 
or tincture should be employed, perhaps also the infusion. 
Piper angustifolia or matico has been "used by several 
practitioners, who speak highly of its useful properties in 
diseases of the mucous membrane ; and I may, without ex- 
pressing any very sanguine expectations of its obtaining a 
superiority over others of its family, recommend its being 
well tried, as it is the only instance of the leaves of a piper 
imported for medical use ; and as we are well aware that 
the peculiar properties of plants reside in very variable 
quantity in different parts of their structure, it is desirable 
to be enabled to investigate them all, a knowledge of facts 
being in this matter very important. 
Mr. Gird wood has favored me with a statement of seve- 
ral cases, in which it has been found useful. 
One of the most interesting and remarkable of the plants, 
of this family remains to be noticed — the Piper methisii- 
cum ava or kava of the Sandwich or Tonga Islands: the 
name of Piper inebrians has also been given to this pepper 
from its property of intoxicating. The natives of these 
islands employ the root of this plant, occasionally only the 
leaves, but it is in its enormous root and stem that its pro- 
perties chiefly reside. I am not aware of any chemical ex- 
amination of this substance, although it certainly merits a 
